| The San Diego Schools were put in the national | | | | best served by keeping the two entities separate. |
| spotlight this past July when it was revealed that | | | | Prayer is a quiet and personal act that really doesn't |
| Carver Elementary Schools was allowing Muslim | | | | involve a lot of fanfare. The idea that we have laws |
| students a 15 minute timeframe to pray. Carver has | | | | either allowing or outlawing prayer is ludicrous. If |
| recently acquired about 100 Muslim students from a | | | | children in the San Diego Schools want to pray quietly |
| San Diego Schools charter school that closed. Even | | | | between classes, then it's now one else's business. |
| so, this revelation created uproar on the ever popular | | | | And if some one hears you praying and it offends |
| subject of prayer in school. There are a few schools | | | | them- oh well, welcome to life. But classroom time |
| of thought on this subject. One camp feels that religion | | | | focused on a curriculum of instruction needs to be |
| shouldn't have any place in federally funded education | | | | separate for several reasons. The students in San |
| of San Diego Schools. Another side feels that you can | | | | Diego Schools need to focus on school when they're |
| allow prayer in school, but it needs to be an equal time | | | | in school. A solid foundation in language, math and |
| scenario. The problem with the San Diego School | | | | science is necessary to form the critical thinking and |
| District trying to account for equal time is part of the | | | | problem solving skills that children needs to understand |
| problem. It's a part of the Muslim religion to pray at | | | | the difference between religion, spirituality, and blind |
| specific times each day. Unfortunately for some, those | | | | faith. But what about those Muslim students in the San |
| times coincide with the San Diego Schools class | | | | Diego Schools? To prevent them from practicing a |
| schedule. On one hand, Carver elementary was being | | | | principle tenet of their religion seems oppressive. Do |
| aware of the fact that its population had shifted | | | | the San Diego Schools really want to send a message |
| significantly, and they were trying to be respectful of | | | | that the students are unwelcome because of their |
| those student's religious beliefs. But is it right or fair for | | | | faith? Assuming that the answer is no, I recommend |
| the schools day to come to a complete halt to | | | | that Carver Elementary continue to do exactly what |
| accommodate the needs of a specific religious group? | | | | they're doing. Even though I'd love to see a clean |
| Actually, the San Diego Schools has done this for | | | | dividing line between the school day and worship, it's |
| decades. The school calendar is set up to allow for | | | | not reality. The best thing is for the San Diego Schools |
| vacations that accommodate the Christian religious | | | | to make accommodations that are necessary for the |
| holidays of Christmas and Easter. Of course, this | | | | dignity and respect of its students. And in this instance, |
| doesn't involve stopping school each day. But the San | | | | no one really loses out. That 15 minutes can be used |
| Diego Schools need to come to an awareness that | | | | as study time for other students. And if there can be a |
| with changing populations come some complicated | | | | solutions where everyone wins, let's take it. |
| decisions. Ideally school and religion need to be | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| separated. With the exception of religious schools that | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| have a mission to provide education a child's spiritual or | | | | private K-12 schools. |
| religious education, the San Diego Schools would be | | | | |