TEACHING RELIGION

April 2000
		How should schools teach religion to students? The Freedom Forum's Charles Haynes and comparative religion teacher Jim Maechling respond to your questions.

Forum introduction Is the definition of religion changing? Are non-believers included in the new curriculum? Are astrology and Scientology taught as religions? Should kids learn about things like yoga and meditation? Can't religion be incorporated into other subjects?     Feb. 11, 2000: A report on the fight to post the 10 Commandments in public schools. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of religion and education   The U.S. Department of Education.

Schools across America are talking about religion. But the question many educators are asking is not about prayer in the classroom, but about religion as curriculum. Last December, the Department of Education issued new guidelines for the teaching of religion to every public school in the country. The guidelines represented a change in most schools' policies. Most districts removed religion from classroom discussions after a 1962 Supreme Court decision forbidding government-led prayer in public schools. With the new guidelines, teachers are now encouraged to discuss religion, to actively teach civic values and morals, and to allow students to express their beliefs in school assignments. But questions remain about how the guidelines should be interpreted. Some schools have brought in guest speakers to discuss religious ceremonies, a practice some educators denounce. And some parents object to teachers using religious texts like the Bible to talk about holidays. Defenders like Charles Haynes, a religious scholar who helped write the guidelines, say the goal is to define for teachers how students can be educated about religious ethics and values. "The [Supreme] [C]ourt was trying to say that there is a place for religion in the public schools, but it must be an academic place in the curiculum," Haynes told The NewsHour's Betty Ann Bowser. "Just as we learn about all kind of things in history, you also learn about religion." How do you think religion should be taught in schools? How can educators be sure that religion is being taught objectively? Should teachers discuss religious values? How should students learn about religious traditions and ceremonies? The Freedom Forum's Charles Haynes and comparative religion teacher Jim Maechling respond to your questions.