Educator John Camardella found himself fielding questions when he started teaching a world religions class at northwest suburban Prospect High School seven years ago. After all, Prospect is a public school, where a mixture of government and religion can provoke debate, criticism and even outrage.
"How can you teach religion in public schools? Is it illegal?" parents, staff and colleagues would ask him.
Yes, you can teach religion in public schools and, yes, it is legal when using an academic rather than a devotional approach, among other guidelines that can pass muster under the U.S. Constitution.
Nowadays, Camardella's world religions class has grown in popularity, covering the history of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and others.
"One of the greatest things we have to deal with in the United States is understanding religion," Camardella said.
And in that vein, Camardella and other educators are hoping that a milestone this week — one that grew from efforts out of Prospect High School — will be a springboard for more public schools to teach religious studies.
The National Council for the Social Studies for the first time published guidelines on how to study religion "in ways that are constitutionally sound" and consistent with high academic standards. The guidelines are part of a larger framework that guides states and school districts on standards for what students should know in the social sciences, including history, civics, geography and economics.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-religion-in-public-schools-met-20170616-story.htmlThe queue for complaints is to the left.
