Should Religion Be Taught in Public Schools?

@kafka I've read everything you posted, and I can see where you're coming from, perfectly well.

A couple of pointers.

A) Yes, my parents wanted me to have the best chance I could to get into university, as it is I'm not even working in the area I studied in, but in Australia having a degree goes a long way in getting a job, [though it isn't necessary in thi day and age, it just looks good on your cv], it's probably one of the reasons why I'm still at my current job in childcare, even though I haven't finished my Tafe course in childcare [which you're meant to have now].

B) People who can't or don't want to spend money on their children's educatio can send their children to State High Schools in Australia, many of them rank highly academically here The class system that is seen in the UK is not as evident in Australia and I know rich people who send their children to State schools instead of Independent schools because they believe in 'free' education. I also know people who can't really afford to her manage to send their child to independent schools for at least Year 11 ad 12 just to give them a leg up for their final years of schooling. A person's financial status should not be any reason, in Australia at least, to prevent the parents from sending their children where they want. Granted there are some elitist independent schools in Australia, however, even some of the State schools are trying to become Independent.

C) I wasn't defining 'thriving in school' as academic success, if you read what I wrote I said 'thriving in that environment' no matter the academic success of some of the state schools. As in regards to I wouldn't have fit in socially. And I was pretty socially inept as it was. I would have fallen by the way side.

D) I didn't perceive class in my school, then again I lived in a small country town [by small I mean 180,000 people so not really that small, small in comparison to Perth Australia which has 1.5 million people] an there was only 800 students from Kindy to Year 12. We had 78 graduate from my year, several from disadvantaged backgrounds who did really well.

Religious schools: I haven't really heard of specialised schools like that, I'm not sure they exist over here, not for high school students at least. They do sound like they're really good. Here in Australia you want that sort of training you have to wait until after High school and go to University of Theological schools.

Prayer issue: I never saw any issue with Chapel or having to read a morning prayer, but then again I've grown up in a Church background all my life and I consider my faith an all day every day thing, not just something you do privately and on Sundays. Also, yes it does say in the Bible you should pray privately but it's more the state of mind/motivation. Not that you shouldn't pray in a group or out loud. It depends on the intention. The 'hypocrites' pray out loud to gain attention of their fellow man. If your intention, even in a group setting is to gain God's intention, then I don't think it matters. We pray out loud at our Church, in our Worship team...but it's to God not to gain each other's attention. I don't personally do it, because I tend to stick to the literal statement of Matt 6:6, but I don't think it's wrong to pray out loud in corporate prayer as long as in our hearts we know its for God's attention, not man's.

Can a school really be sued if a student changes religions? O_o

^Not that I heard of? Have you read something to that affect, dru? Because that sounds like crazy parents...going crazy...

I was denied at a University because I was not Christian and it was a Christian University. Which was really frustrating, because besides their religious classes, they had amazing programs that could really take you places. My family told me to lie, but I couldn't because I believe in my beliefs and I don't think I should lie to get the education I deserve.

I think that religion should be and option in secondary education, but with High School, it's an opinion class that is cheap credits for no work.

@ galaxy
Is that your experience with your high school or do you believe that for all of them?

@ The Pies Endure
No, someone was talking about it above, how a school would be afraid to talk about religion because the parents could sue the school. But since your right to believe how you see fit is protected by law, I don't see how parents could do that and win.

I believe that room is purley based off opinion and lore and shouldn't count for academic credits. And if taught, should be optional like French, or Art.

galaxy:

I believe that room is purley based off opinion and lore and shouldn't count for academic credits. And if taught, should be optional like French, or Art.

I think that if the class is written/structured well, it can be as academic and important as any other culture-oriented class.

@ galaxy
I just don't understand why you said it was "cheap credits for no work". Do you believe that electives should always just be slack off classes with no academic merit or workload required? Because I don't.

No, my wording was incorrect, sorry. I like an elective that makes you work. I know that no matter academic or elective, there are always students that will treat the class like bird class, but as someone who doesn't have a "popularized" religion or belief, I think that a class about a religion would be like Sunday School. Unless, and I change my whole opinion on this, if the class is about the history and progression and reasoning of religion, including its involvement with "the state". In that case, I would even sign up and take that class. But in my experience, that is not the class you get when you sign up.

@ galaxy
I think there would have to be heavy regulation to ensure teachers are teaching about multiple religions and not preaching about one, but I think that if there are rules in place that an elective class could be interesting.

@ for dru's sins.
Oh of course. Otherwise you are just going to church.

I think it's okay that they teach or inform people about religions but not make the kids practice it or make them feel they need to be apart of it..if that made sense o.e

Philosophy should be taught in schools, religion shouldn't. I do agree, though, that religion as an elective might be interesting and useful to those seeking exploration of their beliefs and expansion of their minds.

^ But then what religions would be taught? Judging by the government's agenda, Christianity would be the one that schools will implement in their curricula.

I understand the need for students to understand the contemporary world and the history behind it, but funding several classes on different religions is not exactly something that the school districts would do. Heck, they even try to cut funds on arts and literature (in Texas, not sure if in all states) in order to fund sports. One is no less important than the other; both forge different values and knowledge in children if implemented correctly; same would be with having a religious curricula with different classes on different religions, but that's highly unlikely.

sobre mi cadaver:

But then what religions would be taught?

You could teach religion in the context of empire, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. "Global" religions, in the sense of religions with global aspirations (i.e. excluding Judaism, which exists in the diaspora but does not seek to convert) - or "universalising" might be a better term; contrasted to "ethnic" (Judaism, Hinduism.) Semitic (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) vs Indic (Hinduism, Buddhism.) Within any/many, the divisions between the laicite and the monastic. Traditions, 'little' vs 'great'. You could take an Abrahamic religion, and look at the syncretic adoptions in areas like the south Pacific; or you could take an Indic tradition and look at how it has responded to colonialism, globalisation and transportation through migration and international adoption (i.e. the rise of 'Western Buddhism.')

Really it doesn't matter very much what is picked for discussion; what matters is how it is discussed, i.e. scholarly vs dogmatic. And that's probably what people are going to have the real problems with - parents might not mind you talking about Islam if you emphasised how dangerous and extremist the religion is. (In case anyone needs the aside: It is not.) But they might take issue with you discussing solely Christianity, if it's within the context of a kind of sceptical, secular approach.

Chaplaincy program ruled unconstitutional.

Not technically teaching religion in public schools, but in many schools chaplains took on more significant roles than they were trained for / legally permitted to, e.g. counselling in schools that lacked trained professionals; and I think they ran the religious classes that parents were trying to get their children out of in favour of secular ethics classes - also the man who instigated the case claims he did so "to secure a secular education for his children."

Greens leader Christine Milne welcomed the overturning of the school chaplains program. Senator Milne said that the program's funding should go towards employing counsellors and student support staff.

"Schools across Australia need the resources to employ properly qualified counsellors, student support officers and other non-teaching staff to help students through difficult times," she said in a statement.

^I agree with all of that, however I also think having Chaplains [not just Christian ones, the Rabbi where I work - I work at a Jewish Childcare centre connected to the main synagogue in the city I live in - is a Jewish Chaplain and goes into several high schools] is a good thing, for those who are religious and feel that they need to speak to someone of that persuasion. They are also good for pastoral care and even those who are not religious get benefits from speaking to Chaplains. No, they are not counsellors and should not overstep their boundaries but I think denying them the right to work in schools in a pastoral role is just as bad.

I don't think that religion should be taught in public schools. They are called public schools to separate them from the private ones, which are mostly based on some religion, like Catholic schools. Now, I know that they're not totally called public schools just because of that, but they are separate.

It doesn't matter if everyone in the school said that they had the same religion. Lots of parents--even if they're not Athiests or Agnostics--don't pay for their child to go to school and be taught religion. My parents have known many who believe this. Since they are present, they usually like to be at church with their child.

But there may be other views that I haven't heard of. It's not because I'm Agnostic that I believe this, but not everyone believes the same religion, so...

I think they should be, which seems to be a rare opinion round here. But, I'm not at all for, "you should follow this religion" or "the bible say this", "the bible says that". If you are going to learn religion, you should be taught all religions and not just Christianity or whatever is most common in the region you live in.

I was taught religion up to the age of 16, in my school we had to take at least ... 2 i think, lessons a week on the subject. But, up to year 9 (14 ish) we were taught world religions, what they believed and what practices they had and from then on we were taught ethics and how different religions would change peoples' opinions on certain matters.

This gave us, as students, the understanding and common sense to understand many peoples' actions. For example, we wouldn't be offended if a Jewish person refused to eat out pork roast or a catholic was particularly against abortions and contraception and we wouldn't suggest a Jehova's witness should get a blood transfusion.

I think my RE teacher from year 8 put it best: "You don't need to learn to be religious, if people want to be they'll go out and learn it on their own. I teach tolerance and understanding and improve communication between my students and the religions we study."

She was an inspirational woman who, although sometimes a little mad, knew what she was talking about and taught us in exactly the right way.