Public School Students Have Religious Rights Too!

You might not be surprised to learn that 84 percent of church-going Christians send their children to public schools. Nevertheless, you may be astonished to learn that half of all public school teachers consider themselves church-going Christians.

These two tidbits come from Barna Research. Nevertheless, we’ve had controversies throughout the country whenever valedictorians attempt to quote scripture or young students try to attach religious messages to candy canes at Christmas. These dramas unfold because frequently teachers do not know the rules governing religious expression in public schools, which allow all of the above to occur, according to Eric Buehrer, president of Gateways to Better Education.

For one thing, few public schools realize that January 16 of every calendar year is Religious Freedom Day, and has been since President Clinton proclaimed it to be in 1993. His successors, including the current one, have kept up the practice.

“For 21 years the U. S. Department of Education has issued religious guidelines starting with Department Secretary Richard Riley in 1995 in the Clinton Administration,” Buehrer said on August 8, 2016 at the Family Research Council. Don’t hold your breath waiting for reporters to ask Mrs. Clinton if she plans to continue the practice.

Buehrer runs workshops for public school teachers on Faith & Freedom in Public School that draw about 3,000 annually.

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