Religion in the Public Schools
Parents are the proper agents to determine what religion, if any, their children are exposed to. Public schools have no right to usurp parental authority by imposing religion on schoolchildren. Mandatory prayer, Bible reading or other religious activities sponsored by public schools are fundamental violations of the right of conscience. Public school students have the right to pray on their own in a non-disruptive fashion, and schools may teach about religion as a part of objective instruction, but public schools must not sponsor religious worship. That job belongs to America’s houses of worship.
Brochures
Prayer And The Public Schools: Religion, Education, and Your Rights
As battles over church-state separation have escalated in recent decades, so too have misconceptions about the role of religion in public schools. Had prayer been expelled from our schools, as some people claim? Has Bible reading been banned? Must teachers avoid all mention of religion? The answer to these questions is "no." Public schools are not permitted to sponsor worship, but that does not mean that they must be "religion-free zones." In order to clear up some of the misunderstandings about religion and the public schools, it is important for Americans to know the truth.
Science, Religion and the Public Education: an Evolving Controversy
A well-organized and well-funded campaign is under way to undermine the separation of church and state in America’s public schools. Aggressive religious pressure groups are pushing school boards nationwide to change the curriculum to conform to their doctrines. Battles have erupted all over the nation, and your community may be next.
Advocates of "creationism," "creation-science" and "intelligent design" are among the most active in this area. Backed by national Religious Right organizations, proponents of these ideas seek to drive evolution from the science classroom and replace it with their interpretation of the Bible. If they succeed, church-state separation and sound science education may be irreparably harmed.
A Joint Statement Of Current Law
The Constitution permits much private religious activity in and about the public schools. Unfortunately, this aspect of constitutional law is not as well known as it should be. Americans United is one of many organizations that has issued a joint statement of consensus on current law as it applies to parents, educators and students.
Full statement and list of signers
Analysis
An Analysis of the “Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools” Issued by the U.S. Department of Education on February 7, 2003 - PDF
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