Separation of Church and State has been a major topic in today's court systems in involving school. Recently cases have gone before courts in questions to weather stating the Pledge of Allegiance in schools violates the first Amendment to the Constitution. As American schools started in the United States the purpose was for students to be able to read and write so that they could read the Bible. In the public School system today, classrooms are filled with a diverse religious background. Teaching religion is obviously an outdated practice. The question remains of how to teach moral issues such as honesty and citizenship and transferring these lessons into behaviors. In today's times it is apparent that these issues are taught to students in classroom without violating the rights of freedom of Religion in today's classrooms.
Throughout grade school and high school I attended parochial schools. The issue of teaching morals was simple. The teacher would teach the subject in religion class. In the diverse environment of public schools the issue is much more difficult. Character Education is defined as an approach to developing values and morals in students that emphasizes the transition of moral values such as honesty and citizenship, and the translation of these values into character traits. I feel that morals can be taught without paralleling these morals with religion. Instead paralleling morals with what it means to be a prominent person in society. Religious morals that I learned at Parochial Schools included stealing, violence, loving others, telling the truth, and giving back to the community through volunteerism. These morals where taught to me through religious text. All these moral issues can be taught to students with out the religious aspects by discussions on these topics as they pertain to being a positive member of society. The text talked of the issue of stealing in order to feed a starving family as opposed to steeling as it pertained to the commandments. Teachers should be able to teach these moral issues without religious interpretation.
Teaching of religion should be a task that the individual families teach in their own ways at home and through their particular church. In my experience of working in pre-schools is that many times young students will bring their religious opinions that are taught in the home to these discussions. In my pre-school class of 4 year olds we would discuses some of these issues in a group setting. Every time one student in particular always would respond “We don’t steal because baby Jesus died for our sins” or “fighting makes baby Jesus sad.” Teachers know that teaching religion in public schools is not the proper forum but they should also be able to respond to young students who bring up the religious issues. My response to this child was “Very good point “Mary” some people believe that fighting is wrong because of those reasons.” By doing this I feel I was encouraging the morals that this particular child parents were teaching her. Therefore she would not be confused with the teaching at home and school. I also feel that I made it clear to other students that this is the onion of this child and her family and is not the only opinion that is out there. I would then try to turn the discussion to how fighting affects our classroom or families. By relating the moral issues to a specific life situation I hope to separate the moral and religious aspects of the classroom.