Religion in Schools: The debate continues...

The last time I checked, we lived in a nation that was founded upon Christian principles.  The pledge of Allegiance clearly states “One nation, under God...”   However, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment calls for a separation of the church and state.  In Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association he states:

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his god, [the people, in the 1st Amendment,] declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.”

Let’s shift our focus to the part that says “..or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..” I interpret this as respecting all forms of religion and worship.  I must admit that I am somewhat biased on this topic.  I am a Christian woman who takes my relationship with God very seriously… but I am respectful to other religions and I feel as if the school system has been as well.  Muslim students are allowed to observe Ramadan, the holy month of prayer and fasting, in public schools across the nation.  Accommodations are in place such as allowing the students the ability to go to a designated area during their lunch time for prayer, and in some areas footbaths have been installed in restrooms to allow them to carry out their prayer rituals.   I grew up attending culturally diverse schools where I was constantly exposed to other forms of religion.  Exposing children to different religions can be instrumental in teaching them respect for all.

The Religion in Schools article raised some very valuable and interesting points.   A federal judge in Illinois ruled against a state law requiring students to observe a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day.  It is difficult for me to understand why people are against this.  It was never a requirement that students had to pray or do anything during that allotted time, other than be silent.  Many non-Christian use that time for their personal individual religious purposes as well.  What really gets me is that the lawsuit was filed by an Atheist and his daughter, who at the time was a high school student.  It seems as if Atheists want respect for their religious (or lack thereof) practices, but aren’t willing to accept Christian practices.   In Texas, Biologist and social conservatives went to the extent of attempting to revise the state's science curriculum so that it would be more difficult for teachers to discuss possible weaknesses to Darwin’s theory of evolution.  Their argument being that there are no scientifically verifiable weaknesses to Darwin's theory of evolution.  To my understanding, theories existed to be questioned and debated?  I thought this was part of the education process…

As long as it is organized and controlled, as in the “moment of silence”, children should be able to worship, pray, nap, stare into space, or whatever they so choose while in school.

References:

Calefati, J. (2009). Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up. U.S. News and Education. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302.

Ramadan in Public Schools. Retrieved from: http://www.religionlink.com/tip_070917.php

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_reli.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States

The Innovators vs. The Makers

The public education system has undergone a great deal of changes over the years.  Many of these changes can be attributed to extremely dedicated and passionate people who were willing to work hard to fix inadequacies throughout the school system.  Each innovator made a vital contribution to help reshape the school experience. 

Linda Brown Thompson was an African American girl living in Topeka, Kansas in the 1950's.  She was only in the 3rd grade but managed to be put in the forefront of a major civil rights battle.   Her family was selected by the NAACP for a nationwide legal attack on the “separate but equal” Supreme Court ruling that had permitted segregation in American schools for half a century.  The Browns and 12 other families all participated by trying to enroll their children in neighborhood white schools but they were all denied admission because of their skin color.  The historical Brown vs. The Board of Education ruling desegregated schools and also shed light on the injustices that African Americans faced due to racism.  I feel that all humans should have equal access to a quality education regardless of race or socioeconomic status.  

Frederick W. Taylor was a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency.  He is regarded at the father of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants.  As one of the intellectual leaders of the Efficiency Movement, he sought to identify and eliminate waste in all areas of the economy and society and to develop and implement best practices.


The innovators have all shared a common interest in improving the conditions of the educational system.  They all took on different tasks in response to what they were currently seeing as holes in our system.  A young Linda Brown Thompson helped desegregate schools allowing other African Americans like myself the right to attend any school.  

Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Winslow_Taylor