Teaching Religion in Public Schools Takes on New Significance

December 27, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/teacher/index.php

On December 27, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "teaching about religion is tough terrain for public school teachers, but something that a growing number of educators believe is imperative to help young people understand not only the forces that drive human history but also the diversity in their own neighborhoods. Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks generated new interest in Islam, many educators were already seeking ways to teach about religion without proselytizing. Today that effort has become more intense... 'There is a new awareness that public schools need to do more to help people understand one another across religious differences,' said Charles C. Haynes, senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center, which works with schools on constitutional approaches to teaching about religion."