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RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SUPPORTED BY NEA
Growing numbers of people in the United States think it is
important to teach about religion in the public schools.
["Teaching about religion" includes consideration of the beliefs
and practices of religions; the role of religion in history and
contemporary society; and religious themes in music, art, and
literature.] But what is the appropriate place of religion in
the public school curriculum? How does one approach such issues
as textbook studies, values education, creation science, and
religious holidays?
The following questions and answers are designed to assist
school boards as they make decisions about the curriculum and
educators as they teach about religion in ways that are
constitutionally permissible, educationally sound, and sensitive
to the beliefs of students and parents.
There are other questions concerning religion and the schools
not addressed here, including school prayer, equal access, and
how schools accommodate diverse religious beliefs and practices.
For a full discussion of these broader issues, please contact
the sponsors listed below.
QUESTION: Is it constitutional to teach about religion in
public schools?
ANSWER: Yes. In the 1960s school prayer cases (which ruled
against state-sponsored school prayer and Bible reading), the U.
S. Supreme Court indicated that public school education may
include teaching about religion. In Abington v. Schempp,
Associate Justice Tom Clark wrote for the Court:
[I]t might well be said that one's education
is not complete without a study of comparative
religion or the history of religion and its
relationship to the advancement of civilization.
It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy
of study for its literary and historic qualities.
Nothing we have said here indicates that such
study of the Bible or of religion, when presented
objectively as part of a secular program of edu-
cation, may not be effected consistently with the
First Amendment.
QUESTION: What is meant by "teaching about religion" in the
public school?
ANSWER: The following statements distinguish between teaching
about religion in the public schools and religious
indoctrination:
o The school's approach to religion is academic, not
devotional.
o The school may strive for student awareness of
religions, but should not press for student
acceptance of any one religion.
o The school may sponsor study about religion, but may
not sponsor the practice of religion.
o The school may expose students to a diversity of
religious views, but may not impose any particular
view.
o The school may educate about all religions, but may
not promote or denigrate any religion.
o The school may inform the student about various
beliefs, but should not seek to conform him or her
to any particular belief. [This answer is based on
guidelines originally published by the Public Edu-
Education Religion Studies Center at Wright State
University.]
QUESTION: Why should study about religion be included in the
public school curriculum?
ANSWER: Because religion plays a significant role in history
and society, study about religion is essential to understanding
both the nation and the world. Omission of facts about religion
can give students the false impression that the religious life
of humankind is insignificant or unimportant. Failure to
understand even the basic symbols, practices, and concepts of
the the various religions makes much of history, literature, art,
and contemporary life unintelligible.
Study about religion is also important if students are to value
religious liberty, the first freedom guaranteed in the Bill of
Rights. Moreover, knowledge of the roles of religion in the
past and present promotes cross-cultural understanding essential
to democracy and world peace.
QUESTION: Where does study about religion belong in the
curriculum?
ANSWER: Wherever it naturally arises. On the secondary level,
the social studies, literature, and the arts offer many
opportunities for the inclusion of information about religions--
their ideas and themes. On the elementary level, natural
opportunities arise in discussions of the family and community
life and in instruction about festivals and different cultures.
Many educators believe that integrating study about religion
into existing courses is an educationally sound way to acquaint
students with the role of religion in history and society.
Religion also may be taught about in special courses or units.
Some secondary schools, for example, offer such courses as world
religions, the Bible as literature, and the religious literature
of the West and of the East.
QUESTION: Do current textbooks teach about religion?
ANSWER: Rarely. Recent textbook studies conclude that most
widely used textbooks largely ignore the role of religion in
history and society. For example, readers of high school United
States history texts learn little or nothing about the great
colonial revivals, the struggles of minority faiths, the
religious motivations of immigrants, the contributions of
religious groups to many social movements, major episodes of
religious intolerance, and many other significant events of
history. Education without appropriate attention to major
religious influences and themes is incomplete education.
QUESTION: How does teaching about religion relate to the
teaching of values.
ANSWER: Teaching about religion is not the same as teaching
values. The former is objective, academic study; the latter
involves the teaching of particular ethical viewpoints or
standards of behavior.
There are basic moral values that are recognized by the
population at large (e.g., honesty, integrity, justice,
compassion). These values can be taught in classes through
discussion, by example, and by carrying out school policies.
However, teachers may not invoke religious authority.
Public schools may teach about the various religious and non-
religious perspectives concerning the many complex moral issues
confronting society, but such perspectives must be presented
without adopting, sponsoring, or denigrating one view against
another.
QUESTION: Is it constitutional to teach the biblical account of
creation in the public schools?
ANSWER: Some states have passed laws requiring that creationist
theory based on the biblical account be taught in the science
classroom. The courts have found these laws to be
unconstitutional on the ground that they promote a particular
religious view. The Supreme Court has acknowledged, however,
that a variety of scientific theories about origins can be
appropriately taught in the science classroom. In Edwards v.
Aguillard, the Court stated:
[T]eaching a variety of scientific theories about
the origins of humankind to school children might
be validly done with clear secular intent of
enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction.
Though science instruction may not endorse or promote religious
doctrine, the account of creation found in various scriptures
may be discussed in a religious studies class or in any course
that considers religious explanations for the origin of life.
QUESTION: How should religious holidays be treated in the
classroom?
ANSWER: Carefully. Religious holidays offer excellent
opportunities to teach about religions in the elementary and
secondary classroom. Recognition of and information about such
holidays should focus on the origin, history, and generally
agreed-upon meaning of the observances. If the approach is
objective, neither advancing nor inhibiting religion, it can
foster understanding and mutual respect among students within
and beyond the local community.
Other sponsors of RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM, in
addition to NEA are:
American Academy of Religion
Department of Religion
501 Hall of Languages
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244
American Association of School Administrators
1801 North Moore Street
Arlington, VA 22209
American Federation of Teachers
555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
American United Research Foundation
900 Silver Spring Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
125 N. West Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs
200 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
Christian Legal Society
P.O. Box 1492
Merrifield, VA 22116
National Association of Evangelicals
1430 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
National Conference of Christians and Jews
71 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
National Council of Churches
of Christ in the U.S.A.
475 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10115
National Council on Religion
and Public Education
Southwest Missouri State University
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65804
National Council for the Social Studies
3501 Newark Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
National School Boards Association
1680 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
U.S. Catholic Conference
1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
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