Does state-sanctioned prayer have a place in public school?

January 24, 2008

        Recently the state of Illinois put into place a new law which required “silent reflection” at the start of each school day.  It actually dictated in Senate Bill 1463 that each teacher had to observe this silence but it could not be connected to a specific religious exercise.  The legislature just called it an opportunity for the students to reflect.  Many citizens did not agree and the law is being contested now. 

            My thought on this is what the legislators thought the students would be during at this time?  Were they supposed to be thinking about lunch or worrying about a spelling test?  Obviously these legislatures were making a not-so-subtle inference that prayer would be an option in public schools.  I have observed this recently in an elementary classroom and noticed that it was nothing but an awkward silence.  Children are unsure where to look, what to do, or what to think during this unusual silent moment in their classrooms and some even nervously laugh because they don’t really know how to respond.  I do believe that there are social norms that children need to be taught, however this awkward moment of silence has never really been explained to most children because teachers didn’t ask for it and don’t seem to want it themselves.  I feel that this time lost is a silly waste of precious school time to appease some legislator’s constituents.  Perhaps they need to come to the schools and explain what this time is to be for exactly. 

The only thing that comes close to this in my high school experience was the requirement to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.  Some students chose not to say anything but did stand.  I’m not really sure what would have happened if a teacher demanded that it was said because I never saw it go that far.  I wonder what would happen if a student refused to be silent during this new time in an elementary classroom.  I also think that there are teachers who aren’t even doing this because they are not seeing a value to their students.  One possible solution to this would be if each classroom voted whether or not they wanted to observe this silence, or if a national tragedy or death of family member of a student occurred, then a moment of silence would be given out of respect.