By: Dave Rojeck, PhD
Recently, states have passed legislation allowing for religious symbols in public schools. Louisiana will be posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The Oklahoma schools' superintendent has ordered the Bible to be incorporated into grades 5-12 instruction as an "indispensible historical and cultural touchstone". Both states cite the prominent influence these religious texts have had on the founding and growth of the nation, thus their import on the citizenry of the United States.
It may be a surprise to know Ohio's Education laws permit religious activity, access, and instruction during the school day. Here are the three scenarios of availability in public schools.
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY IN SCHOOL
According to Ohio Revised Code 3320.02,
a student enrolled in a public school may engage in religious expression before, during, and after school hours in the same manner and to the same extent that a student is permitted to engage in secular activities or expression before, during, and after school hours.
Years ago, and maybe it still occurs today, students would gather to 'Pray at the Pole' in the schoolyard under the US flag before or after school. Another example is that students are not discriminated against when blessing themselves (the sign of the cross, etc.) before examinations, sporting events, etc.
2. RELIGIOUS ACCESS TO SCHOOL
Under ORC 3313.77 a school district, community school, STEM school, or a college-preparatory boarding school shall give the same access to school facilities for students who wish to conduct a meeting to engage in religious expression as is given to secular student groups, without regard to the content of a student's or group's expression in non-school hours.
The meaning here is that religious gatherings like prayer groups and pro-life meetings of a religious context may use school and classroom space outside of regular school hours, no matter what religious denomination just as do non-religious themed groups like language, art, drama, and other extra-curricular clubs.
3. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION RELEASE TIME
Ohio Revised Code 3313.6022 states that a school district board of education may adopt a policy that authorizes a student to be excused from school to attend a released time course in religious instruction off school property, provided that each of the following applies:
(1) The student's parent or guardian gives written consent. (2) The sponsoring entity maintains attendance records and makes them available to the school district the student attends. (3) Transportation to and from the place of instruction, including transportation for students with disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring entity, parent, guardian, or student. (4) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and assumes liability for the student. (5) No public funds are expended and no public school personnel are involved in providing religious instruction. (6) The student assumes responsibility for any missed schoolwork. While attending a released time course in religious instruction, a student shall not be considered absent from school. Also, no student may be released from a core curriculum subject course to attend a religious instruction course.
Under certain stipulations, students in high school can earn two units of graduation credits for completing released time courses in religious instruction. The school board evaluates the courses using secular criteria, not for religious or denominational content as they do for transfers into the school district from religious-affiliated schools.
It would be interesting to know how many public school districts take advantage of ORC 3313.6022 to allow for release time for religious instruction. How many churches even know about the religious instruction statute? Ideal situations are when local churches are within walking distance from school so pastors need not be burdened with the prospect of providing transportation.
YOUTH AT RISK
A holistic education includes not only academic, physical, and social domains but also a spiritual one. As the saying goes: Humans are spiritual beings with a physical body. In our current era, even great secular educationists of our day must conclude that young people are at risk, perhaps more so today than in the 1983 report, A Nation at Risk, which was released by the National Commission on Excellence in Education.
The World Happiness Report has shown disconcerting drops in young people's happiness from 2006-2022. Much of the blame focuses on the rise of social media. Since 2007, the rate of youth suicide has increased by 62 percent, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control, offering various causal hypotheses. No doubt there has been an "alarming" rise in mental health conditions for young people today.
Moreover, as divorce rates have risen over the past decades, the number of young people living in single-parent households has increased. The USA has the world's highest rate of single-parent households. Research has demonstrated that the optimal living situation for children is to grow up with both a mother and father in the home.
Concerning participation in religious services, it has been found that young people tend to mirror their parent's habits. Therefore, as church attendance for adults has declined over the previous decades, so has the participation of their teenage children.
Thus, what is the answer? So many remedies have been tried, from armies of interventionist specialists to reams of Individualized Educational Plans for at-risk students, to smaller class sizes and other innumerable innovations by public school districts like social-emotional learning and character education programs. Teachers leaving public schools have stated that behavior and discipline issues with students as a primary cause.
The current curricular hierarchy has academics taking precedence over everything else in schools. Yet, the classification of bumble bees in Biology and mastering the Pythagorean theorem in Geometry do not give meaning and purpose to young people's lives. What is lacking is instruction in self-denial, delayed gratification, empathy, and a host of other virtues. While many pupils can maneuver themselves through the labyrinth of values presented in schools today, far too many students lack authentic formation in a morality of goodwill.
In the current environment, what might Jesus say about the great number of students falling through the cracks? All we need to do is look at the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Thus, by these standards, one student lost is too many. While many students are advancing on a healthy, fulfilling track to maturity, far too many have fallen off the tracks if they were ever on the train because, in public education, teachers may be highly qualified, but their job responsibility does not include going after the gotaways. Instead, they stay with the ninety-nine who did not get away. This is where the need for religious instruction becomes essential (from a Christian point of view), for those who profess themselves as Christian, as is made clear in the parable, must go after every student, even when they get lost.
Teaching kindness is not enough. If SEL and character education programs are not teaching the great commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself by word and deed, then we fail our schools, communities, and nation. The Ohio state legislature, in its wisdom, has offered a loophole for public school districts to provide religious instruction for their students. Still, far too many districts and local religious organizations have yet to partner to make ORC 3313.6022 a reality for students.
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