In an article by Dave McNeely, "Bill promotes school religion at expense of education,” House Bill 2211 is being debated. House Bill 2211 passed through the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is on its way to the Senate. The bill is designed to allow students to have a greater freedom of religion in school. With this comes the right for children to have power over their teachers because students who answer questions with religious answers cannot be marked wrong. The article states that “the bill requires public schools to guarantee students the right to express their religious viewpoints in a public forum, in class, in homework and in other ways without being penalized. If a student’s religious beliefs were in conflict with scientific theory, and the student chose to express those beliefs rather than explain the theory in response to an exam question, the student’s incorrect response would be deemed satisfactory, according to this bill.” Having this in place is wreaking havoc in Texas where the bill has already passed. Not only are students allowed to share their views without having to face the repercussions, but they are able to challenge grades that teachers would give. If a student has this power, this is not only a problem of establishing religion but it is taking the authority of the teacher’s position.
In Texas, where the bill has already passed, the Denton, Texas Independent School District has started to make rules within the district that prohibit students from speaking out to large groups in an instance. This was done because the bill also allows students to spread their religion to anyone at anytime on school grounds. Again there is no repercussion for doing this. After many complaints about this, the school district started making regulations on this bill. Is this then prohibiting the student’s free speech? There is no saying how far this bill will get before it is taken to court.
I personally believe that House Bill 2211 is crazy and should not be passed by the Oklahoma Senate even though the article says that it most likely will. This bill is establishing religion, it may not be one religion but it is still showing preference to religion. I also have a problem with the fact that teachers are losing authority due to this bill. Why should a child be able to have the freedom to speak about their religion without having to worry about someone telling them that they are wrong or out of place when an adult cannot do the same thing? Adults have accepted norms that they abide by yet this is teaching children that they do not exist. I also feel that religion does not have a place in school especially if it is a public school. Public schools are funding through the government and a state passing this bill is causing entanglement. For no reason should the government be able to allow all expressions of religion to be seen in public schools.
Article link:http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_067125346.html
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4 comments:
I agree with your opinion of this bill. Actually, I think it's a joke and makes a mockery of the already-deficient public education system. There are a myriad of religions out there, and each of them can be interpreted in a variety of ways; Christianity alone is subject to a spectrum of differing interpretations.
This bill would make it extremely difficult for science teachers to make useful tests or teach anything. Is the Earth 5000 years old, 4.6 billion years old, or anywhere in between (if the days of creation week weren't 24 hours long)? Did the Moon form by a meteor hitting the Earth, by God putting it there, or by the Flying Spaghetti Monster putting a ball of cheese into the void with His Noodly Appendage? It's ridiculous.
I agree with David. It is absurd to say that students will not be penalized in science classes if they give their religious opinions instead of the correct scientific answers. The teachers need to be stronger than that and require the students to answer as they are taught. In the matter of the bill, I don’t find it as being necessary—it’s empty rhetoric to make a point. Students can talk amongst each other as they chose. However, to put education in the way of stubborn minds only lead to future ignorance of true science or educational thought. I think these state governments need to reexamine this before case involving the bill goes to the Supreme Court.
To further these comments, it is absurd to pass a bill specifically stating that religion should be allowed in schools. First of all, I think most religious perspectives are respected as it is in public schools. I don't know any teacher who would blatantly tell a student they were incorrect if they cited religious belief. However, by passing a bill to allow it, there would be way too many to take advantage of the system. Students could never learn the material, that goes for science or just as easily for history. Again, note the slippery slope.
The part of this bill that upsets me the most is its encouragement of religion. They want students to bring religion into the schools. The preaching in Texas is very indicative of what a nationwide law would look like. Students would take the encouragement from the schools to use it as a pulpit...most likely alienating a number of students. This is just a ridiculous path to start down.
I think that the bill misinterprets students First Amendment rights. It is clear from precedent, such as our recent class reading of Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (1995), that a public school itself is not a single type of forum. Rather, schools represent an array of different fora a patchwork quilt of sorts. Various areas of a school are public forum, limited public forum and private forum, inside the class room is not a public forum. Even if we were to assume that it was the state has a compelling interest in providing providing an environment conducive to learning.
I also agree with Sara that this Bill could lead to an excessive amount of entanglement between religion and the state leading to significant problems in the Bill's implementation.
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