Can students pray and tell their friends about Jesus at school?
In a 1962 case (Engle v. Vitale), the Supreme Court ruled that schools could not direct and require prayer in the classroom. Some educators and parents think that this means religious expression cannot occur in public schools. However, the Court ruled only on organized or state-authorized times for prayer. It did not prohibit students from praying individually or in groups, or from talking about their faith during the school day. Prayer can be viewed as an issue of free speech as well as freedom of religion. Students are free to speak to their Creator anytime and anywhere they want to as long as it does not disrupt others or interrupt educational activities. In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidelines on students’ rights of religious expression on public school campuses. It stated, “The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment does not prohibit purely private religious speech by students. Students therefore have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer
In a 1962 case (Engle v. Vitale), the Supreme Court ruled that schools could not direct and require prayer in the classroom. Some educators and parents think that this means religious expression cannot occur in public schools. However, the Court ruled only on organized or state-authorized times for prayer. It did not prohibit students from praying individually or in groups, or from talking about their faith during the school day. Prayer can be viewed as an issue of free speech as well as freedom of religion. Students are free to speak to their Creator anytime and anywhere they want to as long as it does not disrupt others or interrupt educational activities. In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidelines on students’ rights of religious expression on public school campuses. It stated, “The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment does not prohibit purely private religious speech by students. Students therefore have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer
