Difficult But Possible
The concept of teaching about religion rather than teaching religion really is great in theory. However, like so many other “good ideas”, the current plan for execution is flawed. For this to work, the school district would need to ensure that each and every teacher has been properly trained to teach this rigidly strict curriculum in an entirely unbiased and neutral manner. Furthermore, we have to consider the teachers that would disregard their training and take advantage of their position of influence in the classroom to sea students’ opinions in one direction or another. This is particularly dangerous when they’re teaching students of a young age. The younger the child, the more malleable the mind and thought processes. Children are frequently compared to sponges because they are constantly and consistently absorbing every piece of information their senses perceive. When placed in a supposedly safe environment where someone they are meant to be able to trust is manipulating their minds, the outcome could never be positive. This is why finding teachers and supervisors who are dedicated to being objective in this matter is crucial to the success of these programs and is becoming increasingly difficult.
The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis runs a blog titled “Religion & Politics.” In January of 2014, Annie Laurie Gaylor wrote this in her article “The Dangers of Religious Instruction in Public Schools”:
“The Freedom From Religion Foundation is continually contacted by students and parents who encounter teachers and principals who view their captive audience of students as a ripe mission field for recruitment. We handle more than 2,000 complaints a year by members of the public concerned about violations of the separation between church and state, and the vast majority of these concern violations in our public schools.”
Too many educators see these situations as a game, making sport of convincing students that their way is the best way. This attitude is dangerous and harmful in every way. I’m in no way saying that every teacher is determined to brainwash their students into believing a certain way. However, it’s exceptionally difficult to pick out the bad from the good. Furthermore, the observation and evaluation processes required to determine which teachers are fit for their position and time consuming and disruptive to the general learning environment. However in a situation such as this, I full believe these extensive measures to be more than worth it. I don’t believe any valid argument has been made against the need to educate students on religion in order to make them more aware of the current climate we’re living in. That being said, we simply need to work towards making it happen in a way that will satisfy both sides of the conversation.
There are plenty of educators all over the world who believe in this cause the way the rest of us do and I believe they would adapt to the situation in whatever way needed in order to accomplish our common goal: to properly educate the up and coming generations of students on matters of religion and culture that other generations were not privy to. The school district of Modesto, California is living proof that this can work. Modesto’s unparalleled success should be recognized and their methods be used as the starting point for school districts across America. Specifically, their experiment highlights the importance of well-trained teachers, a good understanding of the law, finding compromise and working towards a common goal. Progress cannot be made with two forces pulling in opposite directions, we’ll simply remain in the same place but end up more frustrated.
Citations
- Kilman, Carrie. “One Nation, Many Gods.” Teaching Tolerance. N.p., 2007. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
- You are being redirected… (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2016, from http://archive.adl.org/religion_ps_2004/religion.html
- Fischer, M. W. (n.d.). Teaching Religion in Public Schools: Removing the Angst. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev027.shtml
- Pros and Cons of Prayer in School. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2016, from http://www.allabouthistory.org/pros-and-cons-of-prayer-in-school-faq.htm
Rowan Counterintuitive 