Religion and Education (Entry 2)

As the readings demonstrate, the topic of religion in the schools is one that has been debated and argued for a century and it will continued to be debated and argued for years to come. The topic has judicial rulings both for and against even the smallest of religious implications within the education system. Is the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance or allowing for a moment of silence something that requires a Supreme Court Ruling? As a matter of fact, it is.

This country was founded partly due to individuals seeking freedom from religious persecution. They were not of one religion but of many. The United States Constitution states in the First Amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…" and this is in part where the debate began.

By requiring students to say the Pledge of Allegiance, we have created a law regarding religion. Requiring students to observe a moment of silence is a violation of the Constitution as well. Though one practice provides for putting one’s country before religious beliefs, the other requires the open practice of religious beliefs of individuals who may not practice a religion. Both activities are a violation of the Constitution and should be amended. I am of the opinion that individuals should not be “forced” to participate in either activity. I believe children should be taught to respect the choices of others regardless of whether they agree or not. With that being said, I do not believe these two practices should be remove from the education system but modified to include those who do not wish to participate.

Unfortunately, this is a difficult subject for a retired US Army wife and teacher. I was teaching a class composed of approximately 60-70 percent military dependents when word came down the hall about the attacks on September 11th. The school was located just off of the largest military base in the country. I was in the middle of teaching a computer research project. Within seconds of the news from administration, students were watching the events unfold before their very eyes. What I thought could not be more terrifying quickly became much closer to home. Student cell phones began ringing. Following those rings came tears as children were told that their parents would not be coming home but were being deployed. They weren’t alone. My cell phone rang to let me know my husband had already left. We were on lockdown because of the very nature of our location and our student population. Commercial airliners were unaccounted for but we were protected by the fighters circling a perimeter which encompassed all of the schools surrounding Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

We were told to continue teaching but leave the news on for the students. I was locked down with 30 students but what about my children? I knew what my students were feeling but what were my children feeling? Two different schools within a mile of me and I could do nothing. As time went on, my students began to pray and so did I. The law states that I was wrong for allowing it to take place within my classroom during instructional time. As a parent and military wife, I knew it was the only comfort these children had.

What would you have done?