Overview of the Guidelines for Religious Expression in Public Schools •Student prayer and religious discussion. Students have the right to engage in individual and group prayer as well as religious discussion throughout the school day so long as it is not conducted in a disruptive manner or during school activities and/or instruction. Students may also participate in before or after school events with religious content, but school officials may not discourage nor encourage participation in such an event. •Graduation prayer and baccalaureates. Schools may not mandate or organize prayer at graduation or organize baccalaureate ceremonies. Schools are permitted to open their facilities to private groups so long as all groups have equal access to those facilities under the same terms. •Official neutrality regarding religious activity. School administrators and teachers, when serving those capacities, may not solicit or encourage religious activity. Likewise they also may not prohibit such activity. •Teaching about religion. Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach ABOUT religion. Schools also are not allowed to observe holidays as religious events or promote such observance by students. •Student assignments. Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, art, orally, or in the written form. •Religious literature. Students may distribute religious literature to their classmates on the same terms as other groups are allowed to distribute non-school related literature. •Student garb. Students may display religious messages on items of clothing to the same extent that they are permitted to display other comparable messages.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:43:04 +0000
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