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Debate on the advantages of private schools over public schools
Debate on the advantages of private schools over public schools
Issues of teaching religion in public education
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Early in the year 2002, a kindergarten student, Kayla, was told by a teacher that she was not allowed to pray with her friends at lunch. This action caused her family to file a lawsuit against the school district in New York. The federal judge of the case ordered the school to allow the girl to take part in this religious activity (Kafer 1). Many other situations like the one involving Kayla have happened all across the country. Cases like the one in New York have caused people to question what should be taught in schools. Many kids have been denied the right to practice religious beliefs in schools because of their school’s lack of religious policies. There are three main causes for questioning religious rights in public schools: the student’s …show more content…
Both sides of the argument have cited the Constitution in their works to prove why they think the way that they do. Krista Kafer, the senior expert on education policy at the Heritage Foundation, along with many others, prompts “According to the Constitution, the American people are guaranteed the right to practice religion free from government intervention. But interpreting the First Amendment clause ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof,’ has not been easy, particularly pertaining to public schools. Nonetheless, the high court has said, generally speaking, that voluntary student expression and the study of religion are protected but proselytizing and school-sanctioned or teacher-led prayers are not”(1). In other words, Kafer feels that public schools should encourage religious instruction in their curriculum. Some of the court systems in the United States have chosen to recognize that students have a right to religious expression and instruction of religion’s role in history, philosophy, and arts (Kafer 1). Others, on the other side of the spectrum, see it, religion being taught in schools, as the government forcing religion down their child’s throat. Kevin Ryan, founder of the Center for Character and Social …show more content…
According to Edd Doerr, the president of the American Humanist Association, “teachers are very seldom adequately trained to teach about religion. There are no really suitable textbooks on the market. Educators and experts on religion are nowhere near agreement on precisely what ought to be taught, how much should be taught and at what grade levels, and whether such material should be integrated into social studies classes, when appropriate, or offered in separate courses, possibly electives”(3). Doerr is mainly saying, if teachers were trained on how to teach religion then what should it replace in the curriculum or what kind of textbook is best to use. Textbooks mostly leave religion out of them because of the lack of space. If they were to put religion in, it would be to replace something else. Kafer mentions that in California there are workshops for teachers to attend. The workshops help teachers fully understand the First Amendment and all the issues that pertain to it
Mrs. Moreno and the other plaintiffs in this case believes religious education should be the responsibility of parents and religious communities, and not the public schools to which she sends her children (ACLU, 2007). Additionally, Mrs. Moreno and the other plaintiffs’ feels the use of their tax dollars to promote and endorse religion in the public school system is unconstitutional (ACLU, 2007).
This paper deals with the stance of our schools and government on prayer in school. In this paper I will show how our government is hypocritical in its dealings of the prayer in school issue and how some of us as citizens are hypocritical as well. I will discuss the freedom of religion rights and how its interpretation affects prayer in school. Also, I will address the popular phrase, “separation of church and state”, that is often used to argue against prayer in school.
No Prayer in Public Schools Chapter three of Civil Liberties: Opposing Viewpoints inspired me to research today’s issues of school prayer. To understand how we got to where we are today, I first delved into our country's history of court cases pertaining to rulings on prayer in schools. Lastly, to update my audience on how our lives are being affected today, I directed my efforts toward finding current situations. By analyzing these situations, I gained knowledge for a better understanding of why society needs to be aware of these controversies. I don’t think there should be any form of organized prayer in today’s public schools.
This week's assignment has taught me a lot about religious oppression and how it's affecting our world today. One thing that I really found interesting is religious diversity in schools in America. While reading section 58 in our textbook, I grasped more information about the different ways religion has an effect on the lives of students on a school campus. While discussing religion in a school setting; I believe that it is important to remember that a
Kids, in elementary school and middle school especially, are constantly being bombarded with propaganda. People love to push things on other people because, Heaven forbid, someone disagrees with them. One particular issue is religion and the role it plays in schools. Some teachers and parents are completely against any religious activity at their child’s school and other teachers and parents want everything to do with religion in schools. A big part of the debate includes the Establishment Clause of the 1st amendment and the 1st amendment itself. In 1971, in the Lemon v. Kurtzman Supreme Court hearing, it was decided that there are three questions that need to be answered to decide if something goes against the Establishment clause; is there or will there ever have a secular purpose, does it advance or inhibit religion, and does it require the government to get involved with religion. (Marshall 128) This seems pretty straight forward. It makes sure that the government is protecting American’s freedom of religion and keeps the government out as much as possible. Then in 1973 in Miller v. California it was held that the 1st amendment doesn’t ...
McCarthy’s claim is that educators are responsible for ensuring that religious indoctrination sponsored by public servants such as teachers and schools does not occur but at the same time that no teacher or school unduly interferes with student’s rights to practice their fai...
Freedom of religion is a right that is granted to all citizens under the First Amendment of United States Constitution (U.S. Const. amend I). This gives individuals the freedom to express their religious views however they may please. Controversy arises when the topic of religion is brought up in schools. A great example scenario is when a student submits an assignment representing Jesus Christ when asked to come up with a paper and drawing of their hero. It is important to understand what rights students have when it comes to incorporating religion in their schoolwork. This paper will examine the legal issues regarding the grading and display of the assignment containing religious expression that is submitted by a student and how the First Amendment applies to classroom assignments in schools.
Religion is one of the most controversial issues in society today. The concern of allowing prayer in schools is an on-going debate and has resulted in numerous lawsuits. Religious school clubs, after school activities, curriculums, and moments of silence during school are just a few of the court cases that judges have administered. People in favor of prayer in schools believe that their children can only learn certain values through religious practice. On the other hand, an individual against religious practice in schools views this issue as an infringement on his or her children’s rights as Americans.
"God help, I'm so lost!" If you listen carefully, this is a common thought that is heard throughout many schools in the nation. Is this thought appropriate? The following statement clearly shows that the law allows students and adults to practice religion, but at the same time be respective of others and their beliefs even if they do believe or if they don't. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances." (First Amendment, The Constitution of the United States). Prayer is not normally permitted as a scheduled part of classroom activities, because it would result in the violation of the principle of church-state separation, which has been defined by court interpretations of the 1st Amendment to the U.S, Constitution. The separation principle is extended to Public school as an arm of the government, with an exception which can be permitted if, during the school year, a mixture of prayers, statements, etc are delivered, using material derived from a number of different religions and secular sources. So far, this has never been tried in a school or ruled upon by a court (Religion in Public).
Prohibiting School Prayer Threatens Religious Liberty. Civil Liberties. Ed. James D. Torr. -. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Many individuals believe that the first amendment prohibits religion to be taught or exercised in a public school setting. They believe this because they feel as if it infringes on an American citizen’s right. Often times there can be discrimination against minority groups. An example of this was after the 9/11 attack in New York. Discrimination against Sikh-Americans became increasingly worse because they were often accused of being allied with Al Qaeda. People are worried that if we do teach the religion in school, bullying will grow to become an even bigger problem (“Religion in Schools: A”).
University of Michigan. “Religion in Schools: A look at how religious practices influence education.” .
While students are attending public schools they should be aware of their religion options. The student should have the right to practice their religion as they please, just on the own time. Yes, religion plays a huge part in molding a person but, should be practiced when the time is available, not in a classroom setting. The government should have the ability to control the protection of the students that just want to learn. The capability to regulate the religious practices while attending public educational institutions should be left to the government. Faith, religion and belief, usually are three words that are used to describe one situation, although these words have three different meanings. To have faith in something or someone you must first believe in it and also accept it as well, but have a belief without evidence. Religion is a belief in a heavenly superhuman power or principle, such as the almighty or creator to all things. Everyone has faith and belief, but not all believers believe in the almighty. Allowing religion into public schools while everyone attending not having the same belief is unfair, unconstitutional and is complicated to teach to a verity of students.
To have prayer in the public school system is against the idea of separation of church and state. The state should not institute school prayer because the public schools are for education, not a place where religion should be taught (Gaylor, 1995, p. 1). The state should not force every child to say a prayer in the classroom because not everyone believes...
Dan Dennette 's speech about teaching all religions in schools has some truth to it. I do think that all schools should teach about religion. It is critical for students to learn about their religion