The Texas State Board of Education has approved what education observers are calling an unprecedented move, making Bible stories and passages mandatory reading for all K-12 public school students across the state. The proposal is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, according to Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, who told CNN he knows of no other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts.
The plan will affect more than 5 million public school students, as Texas positions itself as a leader in a national conservative effort to bring Christian teachings into American classrooms. The vote, held on Friday, was backed by the Republican-controlled board and covers a sweeping list of around 200 required texts spanning all grade levels.
