Prayer Belongs in Public Schools in the United States

Prayer Belongs in Public Schools in the United States

Introduction

The religious practice of prayer was initially introduced by the public schools of the United States. Nonetheless, the practice was adapted by selective private schools later. The practice of prayer in private schools has not been given significant importance as the private schools prefer other extracurricular activities. Some argue that the practice of prayer in the public schools of the United States is a time consuming process. Despite of giving their time to the prayer sessions, the students must focus on other extracurricular activities that are considered beneficial for them. These arguers assert that the Churches are made for prayer; hence, the schools should prefer other extracurricular activities. On the other hand, the supporters argue that the practice of prayer in schools of the United States connects the students with their religion.

In the fast pace of life, the students cannot get time for their religion. The practice of prayer in the schools is the way for maintaining their connection with their religion. However, there are some schools in which the priority to prayer has affected the academic career of the students. The student are involved in practicing is religious events due to which they cannot give proper time to their curricular activities. Therefore, a balance needs to be maintained in schools where prayer is practiced. There are several factors influencing prayer in the schools of the United States. In addition, there are several regulations constructed for maintaining a balance between curricular activities and prayer in the schools so that students' academic career may not be affected.

The History of Prayer in the Public Schools of the United States

The concept of prayer in the public schools of the United States has been acknowledged since several decades, there are several constitutional and judicial activities constructed to support the practice in the schools. The history of prayer in public schools of the United States is associated with diverse legal explanation through which the practice has been mandated in the schools since its inception. The practice of prayer in the public school was never prohibited by the regulatory authorities; however, its excessive implementation was disregarded as it affected students' academic performance due to their involvement in extracurricular religious activities. Therefore, it can be interpreted that the First Amendment in the Constitution of the United States set certain ground rules for the teachers and officials at the public schools of the country for maintaining a balance between religious activities such as prayer and curricular activities of students (Abel, Hacker, 2006, 102-108).

Before the Supreme Court ban on state-sponsored school prayer, only about one-third of the public schools in post-war America actually conducted classroom prayer. Some regions were more prayer oriented than others: 80 percent of elementary schools conducted prayer in the South and East; 38 percent did so in the Midwest; and only 14 percent in the West. State courts banned school prayer in Washington, California, South Dakota, Nebraska, Louisiana, Illinois, and ...