Destinee Cason

 

EDUC 2120 Lesson Six - Religion in Schools

This lesson has a lot about understanding teacher’s right in a class room. The lesson also has a lot about understanding how to deal with students questions on religion. Then you will learn about what rights a teacher does not have in a class room. This lesson also is about students’ rights when it comes to religion in the school.

 

1. Explain what is meant by this statement, “The school’s approach to religion must be academic and not devotional”.

 

What that statement means is that schools must approach religions as a part of art, history or literature. Teachers of the public schools must take their own thoughts on the religion and put it aside. The schools want students to have a broad understanding of all religions. They don’t want school approaching religion as devotional. Devotional would not give a chance for students to have their own opinion. That why it is approached as an academic.

 

 

2. Why do you think the framers of the Constitution prohibited the establishment of a state religion and also guaranteed the free exercise of religious beliefs? Explain.

 

The reason that the framers of the Constitution prohibited the establishment of a state religion was that it would not follow the First Amendment. The second reason is that the early Armenians wanted protection of their religions from the government. I believe that the Constitution guaranteed the free exercise of religious beliefs to make it where all people in America has a right to have their own religion. This also allows the practice of there religions freely. This then allowed many people to feel safe of not being controlled by the government.

 

3. Do students have the right to form religious or political clubs below the secondary level? (i.e., middle and elementary school) Explain.

 

Elementary and middle school students may or may not have the right to form a religious or political club. It depends on the school to put this rule in force. The Equal Access Act does not apply to public school below the secondary level. Middle and elementary students won’t be able to create a religious or political club. Congress believes that the students will not be able to create a club.

 

4. May a teacher refuse to teach certain materials in class if she feels the curriculum infringes on her personal beliefs? Explain.

 

No, teacher does not have the right to refuse to teach a curriculum. The reason this is that the school district makes the curriculum this means that teacher must put aside their religious beliefs when teaching. I found out that a state appeals court ruled that a high school teacher does not have a First Amendment right to refuse to teach evolution in a high school. I also found that many courts have ruled in similar case that the teachers do not have the First Amendment right while teaching.

 

5. Is it legal for students to pray in public schools? Explain.

 

Yes it is legal for students to pray in public schools. In 2003 the U.S department of education placed four general principles for students to follow. The first one is “students, acting on their own, have the same right to engage in religious activity and discussion as they do to engage in comparable secular activities. The second one is ‘’Students may offer a prayer or blessing before meals in school or assemble on school grounds for religious purposes to the same extent as other students who wish to express their personal views or assemble with others.” The third principle is “Students may not engage in religious harassment of others or compel other students to participate in religious expression, and schools may control aggressive and unwanted proselytizing.” And finally the last principle is “Schools may neither favor nor disfavor students or groups on the basis of their religious identities.” All students and teachers follow these principles.

 

6. How should teachers respond if students ask them about their religious beliefs?

 

I found that teachers could answer questions about their religion. Teachers can also not answer the question that students ask. In the case of answering the question, we must first think about of the students’ age. Elementary may not understand what you are talking about. I also found out that you should answer the question with a brief statement.

 

7. May a student pray at graduation exercises or at other school-sponsored events? Explain.

 

Students can pray at graduation for high school. This is usually is done by the valedictorian or the student president. The reason the students can pray is that they have the freedom of speech. The principle of the school usually wants the student so have a moment of silence. The reason that the principle wants the student to have a moment of silence is that it wont offends the audience. It is usually up to the student to decide thou.

 

Respond to this scenario:

Mr. Parker, who is not Jewish, is afraid that he will mischaracterize Hanukkah when he is explaining about holidays. In class, he calls on a Jewish student to see if she would be willing to explain to the class the meaning of Hanukkah. She tries to do so. Later that day, she tells her mother about the incident, who objects to Mr. Parker calling on her daughter. Mr. Parker proposes that the mother come to class and explain Hanukkah. She agrees and comes to school and performs a holiday-foods cooking demonstration.

 

8. Should Mr. Parker have asked the student to explain Hanukkah? Should he have asked her mother? Explain.

 

I do not think that Mr. Parker was wrong. I believe that he did the right thing about asking the young girl in the classroom about Hanukkah. I also believe that did the right thing about allowing the mother to come to class and explain Hanukkah as well. Over all I think that there was no discrimination in the class. I also believe it would help the other students to understand Hanukkah much better.

 

 

                                                            Summary

I believe that this lesion was difficult. I learned a lot out of the lesion thou. I enjoyed learning about the student’s rights. I also thought it was interesting to learn that teachers do not have the right of the first amendment when teaching school. Over all I really enjoyed learning about teachers rights in the classroom.

 

Research Question

 

: What is the point of FCA? When was FCA created?

 

FCA means Fellowships of Christian Athletes. FCA is clubs that are in high schools and also middle schools. The reason for having this club is to spread the word about God. I have learned that some people believe it is only for athletes but this is not true. Any student can go to this club. Another reason for this club is for people to understand there important in school and that they can make a different in a persons life with spreading the word of God. Don McClanen created FCA in1954. I believe that this club is a great way to show how students have there rights in school. http://www.fca.org/about-fellowship-of-christian-athletes/history/