Religion in Schools

For school I was asked to write a journal entry on whether or not religion belongs in school. It was a good opportunity to explore my opinion.

Does Religion Belong in Schools?

My opinion is that school provides an opportunity to expand a student’s knowledge and experience. To that end, schools should never hide information from a child. If a student is ready to ask about something, they are ready to know. With the internet so readily supplying information and opinions on any subject, it is an educator’s duty to supply young minds with different perspectives.

Since religion is an enormous cultural constant in every society, children need to be aware of its vastness. An important lesson in humanity is when you realize that people can unite in their differences. The world’s religions all have important philosophy in them, and it is valuable for children to be exposed to different ideas.

Preaching Christianity to a small child will get the job done if your goal is to make him or her a Christian. However, if your goal is to help a child make positive decisions in their life, you have to present them with their options and let them decide.

Religions can provide a student with different ways to deal with conflicts. A teacher could even reference different religions during times of conflict and discord. Integrating different perspectives can break the tension in a room, making a classroom run more smoothly.

Religion should be taught as a tool to understanding humanity and recognizing consistencies in humankind. The goal in teaching children about religion should not be to coerce them into one philosophy, but to give them a means to create their own.



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