Christianity In Public School Essay

Back then/in the past/The change/historically Post World War II, it was common in public schools to start the day with worship services and prayer or hold explicitly Christian assemblies for special occasions throughout the year. In fact, it was estimated that by 1960, “...religious exercises…were conducted in about fifty percent of the nation’s school districts” (Jr. 11). However, the religion of students and educators was not solely Christian. This caused problems with students, parents, and teachers, and led to a rise of opposition to the traditional norms in public schools. Numerous court cases were taken to the Supreme Court, who upheld the Establishment Clause, ruling out the study of the Bible and worship services from public schools.

The role of religion, specifically Christianity, in schools has changed; where it was common to start the school day with prayer, now, after Supreme Court rulings, public schools are required to uphold neutrality by not limiting students’ religious rights. By understanding how the relationship between school and Christianity has changed over the years, students and teachers can learn the importance of allowing students to express their religion. Since Supreme Court rulings on the separation of Church and State, religious based issues have arisen because of religious illiteracy among students, and the public school and educators responsibility to create a neutral environment for

When faced with religious diversity in the classroom, some teachers don’t know how to approach the challenge of students’ religious liberties. In the article “Faith and Freedom of Religion in U.S. Public Schools: Issues and Challenges Facing Teachers” the author Ilene Allgood states “...public school educators are not adequately prepared to handle the multifarious challenges when religion and public schooling intersect” (Allgood 272). The author requests that courses focusing on religion in public school be required for future educators to prepare them for navigating religious issues in their classrooms. Similarly, the article “Teaching Religion in America’s Public Schools: A Necessary Disruption” outlines the issues regarding the separation of Church and State, and how it applies to public schools. The authors, Jeff Passe and Lara Willox, then explain how to develop a healthy relationship, starting with educators’ lack of understanding and education about religions. Teachers need to “...develop instructional techniques that promote tolerance, sensitivity, [and] nonjudgmental expression of beliefs…” (Passe and Willox