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