Bible stories become required reading for Texas schools - BBC News

Critics say the new reading requirements infringe on religious freedoms and blur the separation of church and state.

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, A copy of the Ten Commandments is displayed in a Texas classroom

A Texas education panel has approved plans to make Bible stories mandatory for all five million public school students in the state, sparking a row about separation of church and state.

The required readings, which don't come into effect until 2030, include Bible passages about Adam and Eve and from the book of Exodus, where God speaks to Moses through a burning bush.

Critics say the new reading requirements, which also include Dickens and Shakespeare, infringe on religious freedoms and lack diversity.

The Republican-controlled State Board of Education approved the measure in a 9-5 vote with one Republican joining Democrats to vote against it.