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A poinsettia is one of many seasonal holiday symbols in December but for some it also has a religious meaning. Post-Exchange/JAMIE LOO
The December dilemma
Expert says schools should develop year round policy on religion in classrooms.
By Jamie Loo, First Amendment reporter
December 23, 2009
Should schools deck the halls with boughs of anything this time of year?
The annual secular and religious battles that come with the war on the holidays sometimes spill over into public schools. Political agendas become entangled in deciding what holiday displays and programming is appropriate while schools try to avoid getting in the media spotlight or in a courtroom over something as simple as tinsel.
Local schools in the Chicagoland area say their rule of thumb is simple: be inclusive.
“Nothing is prohibited but with that in mind we try to be inclusive,” said West Aurora School District 129 spokesman Mike Chapin.
Chapin said the school district doesn’t have specific guidelines on holiday displays and that they try to be as diverse and inclusive as possible. Students learn about the cultural traditions of the holidays without the religious aspect, he said, and individual classrooms may have symbols from various celebrations as a teaching tool. The annual winter concert includes both seasonal and songs representative of all the holidays, Chapin said, such as “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “A Hanukkah Remembrance.”
Joann Power, assistant to the superintendent for Community High School District 99 in Downer’s Grove, said that the school district doesn’t have an overarching policy for religious displays and that each school decides what is appropriate.
Dan Lane, public information officer for South Berwyn School District 100, said that their district doesn’t have a policy on holiday displays. Lane said no holiday displays are placed outside of buildings and that they trust the judgment of their school principals to decide what is appropriate for their schools. Holiday concerts have songs such as Silent Night, which is both religious and secular, he said, as well as Hanukkah, Christmas and general seasonal songs. In his 19 years with the school district, Lane said he hasn’t heard any complaints or problems about how the winter holidays are handled.
Lane said personally he feels it’s unfortunate that some schools won’t acknowledge holidays at all because of fear of problems. Children are exposed to holidays outside of school, he said, and schools should recognize this experience in some way. Lane said holidays such as Thanksgiving also have a historical context and would be silly to ignore in school.
Charles Haynes would agree. Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, said there’s nothing wrong with schools teaching children about the holidays. The religions the holiday are tied to are OK as well, he said, as long as it is focused on cultural teachings, beliefs and practice, and isn’t proselytizing.
“The constituents most at stake on both sides like the fact that schools take religious holidays seriously by teaching kids what they mean,” he said.
Every December the question about religious and holiday symbols in public schools arises, Haynes said. In situations he has helped mediate over the years, Haynes said he has seen communities become divided over things as petty as whether red and green plates are appropriate at holiday parties. Another community argued over what symbols to place on the school calendar.
Public schools should develop policies on how to sensitively integrate religion into classroom curriculum throughout the year in a balanced way that doesn’t promote a particular religion, Haynes said. Haynes co-authored a handbook called “Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Schools” which explores religion in public schools. Various religious and education groups have endorsed parts of the guide.
Schools and local residents should ask “What do students need to know about religion,” he said, and come to a consensus on what is appropriate for their communities. For example, Haynes said there’s a part of California that has a high Sikh population so it makes sense for those local schools to include that religion in the classroom in some way. Haynes stressed that teaching “about” religion is different than advocating a religion. He said it’s time for people to remember the educational mission of schools rather than focusing on debates over small things.
The U.S. Supreme Court hasn’t specifically ruled on cases involving holiday displays at public schools but has made other rulings on religious symbols on public property. In 1980, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, ruled that classroom instruction on the holidays can be constitutional if it is secular in nature and teaches traditions rather than promoting a religion.
The Supreme Court ruled in County of Allegheny v. ACLU that a Nativity scene on public property is unconstitutional but that a Christmas tree can be displayed because it has become a secular part of the holiday season. A Hanukkah menorah, which has secular and religious meanings, is also permissible in a secular display. The context of the display is what matters in determining whether it is constitutional, according to the court.
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