{"id":74087,"date":"2024-09-10T05:41:06","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T09:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=74087"},"modified":"2024-09-10T05:41:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T09:41:06","slug":"can-schools-stop-students-from-praying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/can-schools-stop-students-from-praying\/","title":{"rendered":"Can schools stop students from praying?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

Can a school ban a child from praying, or do schools have to provide accommodations for children with certain beliefs? \u2013 Isaac T., 17, Flint, Michigan<\/em><\/p>\n

Can you imagine starting each day at school joining your class in a prayer that you might not believe in? Back in the 1950s, many teachers led the class in a public prayer, and these prayers were usually from one religion. In 1962, the\u00a0U.S. Supreme Court ruled<\/a>\u00a0that school-sponsored classroom prayer is a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean students can never pray while in school. The rule against organized school prayer is balanced by another First Amendment right: the free exercise of religion. As a law professor who specializes in law and religion, I\u2019ve studied how the First Amendment applies in a school setting.<\/p>\n

Freedom of religion was important to the people who wrote the U.S. Constitution. That\u2019s why the First Amendment contains two separate provisions dealing with religion: the\u00a0establishment clause and the free exercise clause<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The establishment clause forbids the government from \u201cestablishing\u201d a religion. That is, the government can\u2019t set up a national religion, promote or favor one religion over another or tell you what religion you have to follow.<\/p>\n

The free exercise clause says Congress can\u2019t make a law that prohibits the \u201cfree exercise\u201d of religion: As citizens, we have the right to follow the practices of the religion of our choice. The government, generally, cannot interfere with how we practice our religious beliefs, within reason.<\/p>\n

These rights sometimes conflict in a school setting. Recently, the Supreme Court decided that a\u00a0football coach could pray in public<\/a>, on a school\u2019s football field \u2013 but in that case the coach prayed after the game was over. That case has been highly criticized, and the Supreme Court did not explain what the rules are for other situations.<\/p>\n

Students do have the right, within limits, to pray in school. But a student\u2019s right to pray cannot interfere with the rights of other students. If you wanted to lead the class in prayer, or start witnessing during study time, or denounce the teacher as the devil, you couldn\u2019t. The school has a\u00a0right to control the classroom<\/a>. So it can prohibit vocal student prayer during class.<\/p>\n

But if a student wants to say grace before meals or pray before a class or between classes, that is protected by the Constitution. That said, if a student wants to say a silent prayer anytime, including in class \u2013 before taking an exam, for instance \u2013 that\u2019s their right. The Constitution doesn\u2019t restrict private thought.<\/p>\n

Accommodations not required<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If a rule or law applies the same to everyone, the free exercise clause does not require a state or a public school to make exceptions to accommodate someone\u2019s religious practices,\u00a0according to the Supreme Court<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a practical matter, however, public school students who need an exception will usually get one. Many states have interpreted their constitutions, or passed laws, to require schools to work with students so they can practice their faith and still meet class requirements. In most schools, a devout Jewish student who needs to pray three times a day facing toward Jerusalem, or a Muslim student who prays five times a day while facing toward Mecca, will be allowed to do so. They might get a short break during class, for example, or a class schedule that allows time outside of class for prayer.<\/p>\n

Reasons for denial<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sometimes a state \u2013 or a public school \u2013 will have a \u201ccompelling interest,\u201d that is, a really strong reason, for telling people they can\u2019t follow their religious beliefs. For example, the state\u2019s interest in making sure a seriously ill child receives medical care is a strong enough reason to deny the free exercise rights of parents who believe seeking medical attention is against God\u2019s will, even if it means their child dies.<\/p>\n

Even when there is a really good reason for a law or rule, the state \u2013 or the school \u2013 must show there isn\u2019t some other way of getting the same result that doesn\u2019t have as big an impact on a religious practice. For example, if the parents object to only one form of medical treatment based on religion, but there is another treatment that could help their child equally well, the state could not interfere.<\/p>\n

One final note: The First Amendment of the Constitution applies to actions by the government. Because public schools are funded by the state, their actions are viewed as state actions. Private schools do not usually receive state funding, so the protections of the First Amendment do not apply. This is why, for example, a Catholic school can require all students to attend Mass.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Frank S. Ravitch is Professor of Law & Walter H. Stowers Chair of Law and Religion at Michigan State University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can a school ban a child from praying, or do schools have to provide accommodations for children with certain beliefs? \u2013 Isaac T., 17, Flint, Michigan Can you imagine starting each day at school joining your class in a prayer that you might not believe in? 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