Some Us Lawmakers Want More Christianity In The Classroom. Trump Could Embolden Their Plans

Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more Christianity to public school classrooms , testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments.

The efforts come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office pledging to champion the First Amendment right to pray and read the Bible in school, practices that are already allowed as long as they are not government-sponsored.

While the federal government is explicitly barred from directing states on what to teach, Trump can indirectly influence what is taught in public schools and his election may embolden state-level activists.

Trump and his fellow Republicans support school choice , hoping to expand the practice of using taxpayer-funded vouchers to help parents send their children to religious schools .

But there is a parallel push to incorporate more Christianity into the mainstream public schools that serve the overwhelming majority of students, including those of other faiths. And with the help of judicial appointees from Trump's first presidential term, courts have begun to bless the notion of more religion in the public sphere, including in schools .