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