WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) – Knowledge of the Bible needs to be stressed in schools, Education Secretary William Bennett said November 30, while addressing a conference of the American Enterprise Institute, which sponsored a day long panel “The Spirit of the Constitution: National Union, Democracy, Commerce, Religion and Liberty and Equality.”

Bennett said knowing the Bible and Shakespeare was more important then knowing the U.S. Constitution, though he criticized schools for failing to focus on any of the three.

“It’s more important to teach morality that is under the Constitution,” explained Bennet, when comparing the importance of the Bible with that of the U.S. Constitution. “I would rather have this generation of 17-year-olds know it’s wrong to lie, cheat or judge [others by their skin color than to] know details of the Constitution.”

Bennett concluded, “If I had to choose between 17-year-olds reading the Bible and the Constitution, I suppose I’d opt for the Bible and Shakespeare over the Constitution. Too much of the time schools teach neither.”