August 19, 2002
EDITORIAL:
We can find 'common ground' in public education
___If schoolbells are ringing, wrestling season can't be far behind. Not that kind of wrestling--where boys, and now some girls, compete to pin one another's shoulders to the floor. No, this kind of wrestling features flying tongues, no-holds-barred techniques and very few referees. This is tougher, with more serious consequences. It's the annual wrangling over the role of religion in schools.
___Ironically, many of the people who say they want to see more religion in schools are the ones who often dramatically--and incorrectly--under-state the degree to which religion and even faith are permissible in school.
___"The Supreme Court threw God out of public schools," they claim. Or, "A child can't even write a report with any information about Christianity for a class project." Or even, "It's illegal to say the name 'Jesus' in schools these days." Here's the truth: No, they didn't; sure, she can; and that's so ridiculously false it barely merits a reply.
___Of course, we understand why people get so worked up about this issue when school starts every year. It touches on two of American's deepest passions--religion and the welfare and education of our children.
___This time of year, it's hard to tell who's more opposed to religion in public schools. Secular humanists and atheists really don't want their kids exposed to faith of any kind. But some partisan Christians seem to work from an agenda that includes tearing down public schools in order to build up their own educational endeavors, from parochial schools to home-schooling to charter schools.
"Schools demonstrate fairness when they ensure that the curriculum includes study about religion, where appropriate, as an important part of a complete education."
___----Religious Liberty, Public Education and the Future of the American Democracy
___That's not to say all parochial-, home- and charter-schoolers misstate the degree to which religion is permissible in public schools. However, a disporportionate amount of disinformation seems to come from those quarters.
___On the other hand, some school boards, administrators and teachers have given them horrifying examples of discrimination based on religion. The report of a child reprimanded for praying quietly before lunch comes to mind. So do stories of student religious groups denied access to school facilities and students receiving bad grades for referencing Jesus or other religious themes in reports and papers.
___In these cases, the problem lies not with laws governing public education, but with incorrect or intimidated interpretations of current law. Students still can pray in school. If the Spanish club can meet on campus after school, so can the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And students certainly can learn about religion, including Christianity; in fact, the study of literture, art and history is incomplete without an understanding of the impact and contribution of the world's great faiths. The American form of government, from the U.S. Constitution to numerous laws and court cases, guarantees God an appropriate place in public schools. And when that right is denied, everyone--educators, parents and students alike--needs to be educated.
___An invaluable resource for education is the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, based at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Eight years ago, the Freedom Forum published "Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Education." It is a landmark book that details how education about religion and even expression of faith can be respected and included in public schools. It takes a reasoned approach that reflects contributions from across the political and religious landscape. A consensus document, it has changed policies and opened schools to appropriate treatment of religion for almost a decade. The Freedom Forum updated "Finding Common Ground" last year. The book and other resources, such as parents' and teachers' guides to religion in public schools, are available from the Freedom Forum through its website, www.freedomforum.org. The book also is available through Amazon.com.
___A key tenet of the "Common Ground" approach is expressed in "Religious Liberty, Public Education and the Future of the American Democracy," a statement endorsed by 24 national organizations as disparate as the American Center for Law and Justice, the National PTA, the Christian Coalition, People for the American Way, the Christian Legal Society and the National Education Association. It states: "Public schools may not inculcate nor inhibit religion. They must be places where religion and religious conviction are treated with fairness and respect. Public schools uphold the First Amendment when they protect the religious liberty rights of students of all faiths or none. Schools demonstrate fairness when they ensure that the curriculum includes study about religion, where appropriate, as an important part of a complete education."
___That leaves plenty of room for God in public schools and a climate for training children in which all parents and educators can be confident.
___A Freedom Forum pamphlet designed to help parents understand the issue suggests five steps toward finding common ground for religion in schools: Include all the stakeholders, including parents, educators and other citizens who hold divergent views. Listen to all sides, providing an atmosphere in which everyone's views are heard. Work for comprehensive policies, seeking to anticipate issues and provide for their resolution. Be proactive, preparing procedures for conflict resolution before controversy arises. And commit to civil debate, eliminating verbal tactics that "destroy the fabric of our society and undermine the educational mission of our schools."
___A worthy mission of your church would be to provide "Finding Common Ground" for your local school board president, superintendent of schools and principals of all schools. It will make a difference in your community.
___And don't forget to pray for our schools--the educators and our children, who are our future.
___ —Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
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