The
primary mission of the public school is education. The proper role of religion
in the public school lies in its academic value and not in the appropriation or
endorsement of any particular religion or belief system, nor of religion over
non-religion. By “academic value” is meant the meaning of religious systems and
the role they have played in the development of human history and culture.
This policy preserves the
school’s role of deepening understanding of humanity as a whole, while
preserving the family’s role of guiding children in a particular belief system
if it chooses to do so. This policy also safeguards the function of school as a
meeting place for children and families of different backgrounds and beliefs,
recognizes the increasing diversity of religious faith and expression present
in our community, and prevents the effect of the marginalization of minority
members of the school community. The application of this policy will enhance
our understanding of and respect for differences in religious beliefs and
practices, and deepen our understanding of our common humanity.
In furtherance of this
policy:
1. All engagement with religion, whether in the form of teaching about
a religious holiday, the role of religion in history, school programs, or the
academic study of religion itself, must be done solely with education and
understanding as its goal.
2. Curriculum planning should include the study of religions, where
appropriate, as an important part of a complete education, which can enhance
student understanding and appreciation of diverse religious beliefs and
practices. It is incumbent on teachers to teach about religion broadly and
inclusively.
3. Teaching about religious holidays, which is permissible, is
different from celebrating religious holidays, which is not. There shall be no
school-initiated or -sanctioned formal or informal celebration or observance of
religion, religious holidays or religious festivals.
4. Our schools shall be sensitive and responsive to the experiences of
those whose religious cultures or traditions are in the minority.
5. Staff shall be provided training, guidance and specific advice
regarding the implementation of this policy.
1. Care must be
taken in planning and presenting the academic topics of religious holidays,
festivals and observances. Teaching about such events is different from
celebrating the event. Teaching serves the academic goals of educating students
about history and cultures as well as about the traditions of particular
religions. Celebrating religious holidays in the schools is unconstitutional.
Instruction must be objective; it should not be weighed in favor of one
religion or in favor of religion over non-religion.
2. The significance of holidays, festivals or observances may be explained or discussed as an academic unit and/or as questions or comments arise from the students. Aside from this instruction, religious holidays, festivals and observances have no other place in the school program. Permitting any observance or celebration would destroy the delicate balance that allows a community of plural beliefs to remain cohesive.
3. School staff must act carefully and sensitively to minimize feelings of exclusion, isolation, or discomfort among students who do not celebrate any or all of the particular holidays. Utmost care must be exercised to do nothing that would belittle any religious or non-religious beliefs. No child should ever be put in an embarrassing or uncomfortable position because of his or her family’s religious or non-religious beliefs.
4. When teaching about
a religious holiday, festival or observance coincides with the observance of
that holiday, teachers and administrators must asses whether this coincidence
creates an atmosphere of valuing one tradition or belief system over another.
1. A religious symbol is any object that both portrays and
participates in a supernatural object or referent such as an image of Shiva, a
statue of Buddha, or a Christian cross.
2. A religious
sign is cultural. It is an object or image that is so closely associated with a
religion or religious celebration that it is often perceived as religious in
nature. The dreidl, Christmas tree, Easter Bunny and Yule log are religious
signs.
3. Religious signs or symbols may be included in educational activities
as long as they are an integral part of the academic curriculum. They may be
displayed as a part of an academic program and left on display only for the
time their presence is necessary to the study. Children should not be
discouraged from expressing themselves through the use of religious signs or
symbols in art or craft work. Religious signs or symbols may not be used as
decoration.
1. In all public school programs and study, care must be taken to
avoid presentation of music as a celebration of a particular religion or
religious holiday, and to ensure that there is no bias shown toward or against
any religion or non-religion. Faculty must be sensitive to the words of the
music chosen so as not to promote or discourage religion. In creating music
programs, teachers must be careful to include a wide variety of music --
sacred, perceived-to-be religious and secular -- to maximize diversity and not
emphasize the music of any one tradition or religion over another.
2. For the purpose of this section, “sacred”
music is music that recognizes the existence of a supernatural referent or
music that points to or embellishes the supernatural referent. “Perceived-to-be
religious” music is not sacred; it is music that has become so closely
associated with a religion or religious holiday that it is looked upon by a
segment of the population as being of a religious nature.
3. Sacred and
perceived-to-be religious music may be sung or played as part of the school’s
academic and co-curricular program. School concerts that present a variety of
selections may include sacred and perceived-to-be religious music. These genres
may be included in a music appreciation course or as a part of a study of
various lands and cultures. The use of art, drama, or literature with religious
themes is permissible as long as it serves a sound educational goal in the
curriculum, but not if used as a vehicle for promoting religious belief. School
assemblies and special events can include religious art, music or drama but
only if they are a part of a secular, objective program of education. The event
may not promote, denigrate or focus on any one religion or religious
observance.
4. Given the potential for personal conflict,
students should not be required to sing sacred or perceived-to-be religious
music nor placed in a position where they experience pressure or expectation to
do so. Student
participation in such events should be voluntary. Whenever possible, students
and parents/guardians will be given prior notice of any programs that will
include sacred or perceived-to-be religious music so that they may, if they
wish, elect not to participate.
5. Teachers
and administrators must assess whether the proximity of a program to a
religious holiday may tend to emphasize that tradition over another.
1. References to or the study of religion or
religious music, art or drama may be a legitimate component of courses such as history,
sociology or literature at any grade level in the school curriculum. When the
subject occurs naturally in studying other topics, religion should be treated
as part of that study. For example, the study of Native Americans, the
Pilgrims, Greek mythology, or the Crusades may include the religious aspect of
the topic.
2. High school courses in the comparative study
of religion must be non-theologically based and directed toward a
cross-cultural understanding of the human capacity for religious experience or
expression. As such, these courses must not seek to evaluate the truth claims
of various religions, but rather seek to achieve an understanding of the
structures that underlie the diversity of religious expressions.
3. Courses in comparative religion should employ
an interpretive method that focuses on the distinctly religious content, in
addition to secular analytic categories such as politics, social needs and
structures, economics, or literary criticism.
1. The school
calendar shall include dates of significant and diverse religious holidays,
festivals and observances, along with a brief explanation of such events. With
this information, teachers will be prepared to lead exploration and discussion
that may further students’ understanding and respect for differing beliefs and
religious expressions.
2.
Classroom and school-wide activities and scheduling
shall be planned to minimize conflict with the religious festivals,
observances, or holidays of all faiths. Where conflicts are unavoidable, care
should be taken to avoid tests, special projects, introduction of new concepts,
and other matters that would be difficult to make up by children absent due to
a religious holiday. Teachers will be flexible in facilitating students’ making
up missed assignments or examinations due to such excused absences. Conversely,
the students attending school should continue to have meaningful learning
experiences.
There shall be specific
training and qualifications for faculty teaching courses or units substantially
about religion, including competency in understanding and applying this policy.
Staff at all levels will receive relevant diversity training to make them aware
of the sensitive nature of discussing religion in the public schools.
Teachers planning such
activities are encouraged to answer the following questions:
§
Is this activity designed to, or might it have the
effect of, either promoting or inhibiting a particular religion or religion in
general?
§
How does this activity serve the academic goals of the
course or the educational mission of the school?
§
Will any student or parent be made to feel like an
outsider, not a full member of the community, by this activity or the way it is
being taught or presented?
§
Do I include activities to teach about religious
holidays at various times of the year?
§
Am I prepared to teach about the religious meaning of
this holiday in a way that enriches students’ understanding of religion,
history or cultures?
§
When I display student work that contains religious
symbols or signs, do I include an explanation of how this work connects with
current studies? Which Vermont Standard, Vital Result or Learning Opportunity
is addressed by this activity?
Warned: December 6, 2001
Adopted: December 19, 2001