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Religion In Public Schools - What's acceptable and what's not?
There have been ongoing debates regarding the boundaries for religious
worship in schools. Even though there are plenty of educational organizations
which focus on one particular religious denomination, there are known to
be boundaries regarding what is acceptable and what isn't - with a proportion
of the intake that these schools have normally being required to be of a
different faith.
Some experts believe that religion should not get in the way of the education
which young people deserve - meaning that schools should not prescribe prayer
time or worship in the classroom. All of this said, others argue that because
religion can be utilized in a person's life rather freely, there is nothing
to stop them from following their faith in school if they so wish. So -
with both of these arguments conflicting one another, what are the boundaries
that schools abide by?
You could find that the boundaries of acceptability depend on which school
your child goes to. Interaction between school authorities and parents have
become extremely important in ensuring that an educational approach within
one individual organization is tailored to the needs of the parents who
send their children. This has been proven to be effective - however, there
are some governmental policies which many of us have to contend with.
The First Amendment is something which has been established by the US
Government regarding the ability of students to express themselves religiously.
Following on from controversy which was seen in the time of the Vietnamese
War, it was decided that young people should be able to have free speech
as long as it does not affect the education which is being provided by these
schools.
The First Amendment can be particularly hard to enforce on a blanket basis,
particularly regarding some of the media outlets which students might use
to connect with their fellow peers and parents in the form of a publication
such as a newspaper. As such, there have been some cries of censorship for
those who have been trying to use media to express themselves freely in
a school.
Because of how many public schools have extra-curricular activities which
go beyond the classroom, there have also been ethical debates about how
religion could be implemented in these circumstances. For example, what
if a student was to make an impassioned speech about their faith at an event
which was being held by the school? It has been found that in such a situation,
a student may lose their right to free speech if the authoritarians in the
school felt fit - as such, this could have been something to bear in mind.
It can be a grey area for everybody in the education sector - whether they
are religious beings or not. All in all, it can be extremely worthwhile
for you to analyze the situation in the individual educational environment
to see what their individual stance is on religion in their public school
- and from here, you can make an informed decision.
More Information on Religion in Public Schools
- Abington v. Schempp
- Text on the Supreme Court decision on school prayer in 1963, made available
by The National Center for Public Policy Research's Constitution and the
Courts Archive.
- American Atheists: Schoolhouse
- Collection of documents arguing against school-led prayer and other
religious observances in public schools. Includes FAQ, an account of the
"Battle of Philadelphia", and testimony given before the U.S. Civil Rights
Commission on atheist civil rights.
- Can Public
Schools Be Religiously Neutral?- A good legal-based article.
- Challenging Religious
Education - This site promotes the view that religious education (RE)
in schools in England and Wales should encourage pupils to learn a faith
as opposed to learn about faiths.
- Education
Secretary's Statement on Religious Expression - Guidelines set forth
by the U.S. Department of Education to clarify the First Amendment rights
and responsibilities of students, parents, and schools.
- Federal
Guidelines for Religious Expression in Public Schools - Brief synopsis
of federal guidelines for how religious expression may be handled in public
schools.
- Internet
Infidels: School Prayer - Collection of articles for and against government
led prayer in the public schools.
- National Association of Christian
Educators / Citizens for Excellence in Education - Helps parents and
educators reform public schools to reflect conservative Christian views.
Resources include newsletters, radio programs, books, seminars, and assistance
in getting elected to school boards. The organization also urges Christian
parents to remove their children from public schools, and to work for
the ultimate privatization of all education.
- National Center for Science Education
- National organization devoted to defending the teaching of evolution
in public schools, and keeping creationism out.
- National Council on Bible Curriculum
in Public Schools - A program to bring a state-certified elective
Bible course, "The Bible as History and Literature", into the public high
schools in the U.S. Provides streaming video, endorsements, and articles
covering historical and legal issues, as well as related links.
- Pontotoc, Mississippi
School Prayer Case - An essay on the North Pontotoc school prayer
trial in U.S. District Court, involving a suit brought by Lisa Herdahl
of Mississippi against the Pontotoc County School District. Includes judicial
decision and links.
- Pray for
the Children - A petition to the US House of Representatives that
will "allow prayer in our schools".
- Public School
Prayer Persecution - Presents arguments why prayer should not be permitted
in public schools, and criticism of Christian conservatives.
- Public School
System Used Against Christ - Articles from the Christian Parents'
Information Network, arguing against the secular public school system.
- Religion
and the Community School - Discusses the experiences of one teacher
with the intersection of the community school model with the desire of
a community to include Christian teachings in their public school's activities.
- Religion in
the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law - A statement
drafted by 35 religious and public-policy organizations, in an effort
to find common ground on the issue of religious expression in public schools.
- Religion in
U.S. Public Schools - Presents both sides of the issue on religious
activities in schools, with essays on current legal decisions.
- Religion in
the Public Schools- A joint statement of current law.
- Secretary's
Statement on Religious Expression- The official statement of the government
stand on this issue.
- Teaching About Religion
In Public Schools - Offers help to educators to encourage students
toward objective consideration of the varied worldviews they may study
in history.
- U.S.
Supreme Court Church v. State Decisions- Major decisions in the Church
vs. State issue.