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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

What do Teachers Need to Know about Religion in Public Schools?


There’s a lot of private religious activity allowed in and about public schools by the Constitution. One right of a student is that they are allowed to pray in groups or on their own. They are also allowed to discuss their religion or their view on religion as long as they’re not disturbing others. They can say grace before a meal or even read the Bible or other religious writings. Public schools cannot teach religion to their students, but they can teach the history of religion, how some events were caused because of religion and by people with religious intentions like the Pilgrims coming to America. When it comes to theories about how life started on Earth, religious views are allowed to be taught in social studies or comparative religion class, but it is not allowed to be taught in science classes. Only scientific theories are allowed to be taught about life starting on Earth. Another right of students’ religion in public school is the right to express their religion in the form of art, projects, and even homework. This right is protected under the Constitution and teachers cannot refuse or correct these kinds of expressions merely because they include a religious symbol or address religious themes. Students are also allowed to pass out religious literature to their classmates, but outsiders are not allowed to pass out religious or antireligious material to students. Before or after school activities are allowed, but any school official participating in such an event is not allowed to encourage or discourage participation in the event. Teachers are allowed to stop religious speech if it has become harassment that is aimed at a small group or a single student. Religious persuasion, however, is entirely permissible. I personally believe that these rights of students and their religion are how they should be.
 
https://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/religion-and-schools
http://www.freedomforum.org/publications/first/findingcommonground/B06.TeachersGuide.pdf
http://www.aclu-tn.org/pdfs/briefer_religion_in_public_schools.pdf



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