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