Texas Board of Education approves required reading list with Bible passages for 5 million students

The Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education approved a required reading list Friday that includes passages from the Bible, marking the latest effort by conservative officials to expand Christian teachings in public schools.

The Texas State Board of Education voted 9-5, with one abstention, to approve the required reading list for the state's more than 5 million public school students.

The required reading list includes works such as Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" along with passages from the New Testament.

The decision came after intense debate between supporters and critics and has been closely watched by education observers, who say it appears to be the first statewide required reading list of its kind in the United States.

TEXAS OFFICIALS BACK OPTIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM WITH BIBLICAL REFERENCES, SPARKING BACKLASH

Critics argued the required reading list promotes Christianity over religious diversity and civil rights while blurring the constitut...