7 Reasons We Should Teach More Religion in Public Schools "Teachers in the suburban town of Wellesley, Massachusetts spend half the school year teaching the world’s religions to sixth graders. These 11 and 12 year olds learn about major figures, holidays, geography, and beliefs central to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. They take field trips to a mosque and Jewish temple. They debate the pros and cons of not having school on Muslim holidays. High school students in Modesto, California take a world religions class in order to graduate — the only public high school with such a requirement. And at a Wichita, Kansas elementary school, students begin learning simple facts about three different world religions in first grade as per the Core Knowledge curriculum. Many people wrongly view religion as a taboo subject, not to be discussed in America’s public schools. According to a 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center, a little more than half of those polled thought teachers were prohibited from offering a class comparing the world’s religions, while only 36 percent (correctly) thought it was legal to offer such courses. Sure, most Americans know that a 1963 Supreme Court ruling prohibited public school teachers from leading a class in prayer. But they tend to miss the rest of that ruling, which emphasized that teachers have always been allowed to teach about religion academically. For more than a decade, most states have required world religion to be taught as part of social studies and geography standards. Yet, the examples above are rare. Typically, schools teach about religion briefly in secondary social studies. Here are seven reasons it’s time to start the instruction earlier — and make sure it goes deeper: 1. Teasing about religious differences starts as early as kindergarten. ... 2. Religion plays a role in history, literature, and current events. ... 3. The United States’ religious makeup is changing. ... 4. Americans are woefully ignorant about religion. ... 5. Schools need to better understand the difference between celebration and education. ... 6. Even young children can be taught about world religions in simple terms. ... 7. Schools can learn best practices to make these teachings successful. ..." http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/...d-teach-more-religion-in-public-schools/37665 The whole thing is crazy. Why don't we teach about Santa Claus in Indian or Asian schools too? Hey, if you want to understand Americans, you have to understand Santa.
we should teach about santa clause, it is all very interesting, religion is just history and to not learn about it is to be ignorant. I wish when I was in school they had taught me about sunnis and shias. Knowledge is always good.
Religion has no place in schools nor any other public place. Keep it in your home and your place of worship.
I support teaching comparative religions in public schools as part of the world history classes. This has been done for many years. The lessons should be strictly academic. Unfortunately the current K-12 academic environment has moved beyond teaching the facts found in history books, and has grown into a flow-blown propaganda campaign in support of particular religions in our school systems. Now the students are copying verses from the Koran in class and singing the Islamic 'Allah Akbar' songs in schools. Of course doing the equivalent with Christian religious material is strictly forbidden. http://www.elitetrader.com/et/index...ite-muslim-shahada.296609/page-2#post-4221876
imo, students should learn the history of all major religions, comparatively, analytically, objectively and respectfully. Not only modern religions but also some ancient ones of significant impacts. When looking back the history of tho facts about religions and their impacts on the society of the age in terms of development in laws, politics, governments, humanity, justice, wars, sciences, economies, medicines, philosophies, ethics, etc. Covering not only their positive contributions for appreciation, but also their negative destruction acts in order to avoid/repeat any same or similar mistakes. Seems this introductory subject has not been developed or available yet today! Perhaps call it Religions Review! Just 2 cents! http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/28/religion-without-god-ronald-dworkin-review https://newrepublic.com/article/114...gion-without-god-reviewed-religious-worldview http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674726826