Display of Religious Symbols in School
Many educators struggle with the question of whether they can, or they cannot display religious symbols in their classrooms. According to the First Amendment, public schools should not promote antireligious or religious beliefs. However, teachers may teach about religion so long as a) the contents of their teaching are tied to educational objectives, and b) they do not try to convert students into certain religious nonbelief or belief. This implies that schools and educators should neither discourage nor encourage religion in school. Even when religious content is tied to educational or teaching objectives, requiring students to be involved in classroom exercises that involve, say, the recitation of the biblical text (School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp (1963), violates the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause (Oyez, n.d.). Similarly, requiring students in public schools to participate in, say, prayer sessions (such as in Lee v. Weisman, 1992) also violates the establishment clause
However, the conditions for teaching religion in public schools (above) do not answer the question of whether religious symbols should be displayed in the classroom. While the issue of religious symbols being displayed in public school property is still contested in some areas, it does violate the interpretations of the Establishment Clause. Take, for instance, the Ten Commandments, which are considered to be religious in nature. While they can be temporarily be displayed, say in comparative literature or comparative religion classrooms, their permanent display violates the establishment clause, because it may be interpreted as a promotion or support of the Christian religion according to a supreme court ruling in Stone vs. Graham (1980) (Oyez, n.d.).
While the 1st Amendment forbids teachers or educators from displaying symbols that are religious in nature in public schools, it does not mean that the symbols cannot entirely appear in the classroom. As a teacher, therefore, I would display the student’s essay on Jesus with the Last Supper’s drawing. However, I will be cautious and ensure that I make clear connections between the contents of the essay and learning objectives, and I will also refrain from confronting any form of defamation or proselyting of the religion and its believers. Additionally, I will try to include or make reference to arts that represent multiple secular and religious world views.
Even when religious symbols are displayed in the classroom within legal parameters, some learners or students may feel left out. In displaying the above essay, therefore, I will try to ensure that my explanations encompass religious and classroom diversity. If I display the student’s essay and cover the portrait of the last supper, the student may feel that I am denying him free exercise. Similarly, displaying the essay in class may be interpreted as a violation of the Establishment Clause. These two scenarios create a very complicated situation, and it is my role as a teacher to try and strike a balance between free exercise and the establishment clause. I will ensure that I remain within my legal parameters of avoiding a public display of the essay in a way that favors the student’s religion while at the same time respecting his free exercise. To achieve this balance, I will ensure I label the essay and the artwork as belonging to the student, and communicate that the contents of the essay do not represent the views of the school while at the same time honoring the learner’s religious identity.
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