This paper discusses several court cases reflecting the fact that many people continue to question the right of the schools to allow or not allow students any religious activities within the school setting.
This paper explains that, while church and state are to be separate, the government continues to play a vital role in deciding what can or cannot be done within the public school system. The author points out that, during the last century, many court cases have specifically defined the First Amendment and addressed key issues where rulings determined what may or may not be done within the school system concerning religious activities or displays. The paper details three major decisions made by the United States Supreme Court regarding state-approved religious activities in schools and their violations against the United States Constitution. These include Everson vs. Board of Education Court (1945), Engel vs. Vitale (1962), School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania vs. Schempp (1963)
“A student is not banned by the First Amendment to participate in the act of praying while at school. Instead, it prohibits public schools from being actually being involved in the prayers or other religious activities of students. Moments of silence in which individual students may choose to pray are constitutional, so long as teachers neither instruct nor encourage students to use the time for prayer. It is also constitutional for educators to teach the curriculum subjects of religious history, literature, and music if presented as academic and not in a devotional manner.”