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Did you know that . . .
- NYC public schools currently close for major Christian and Jewish holidays, and will soon start closing for major Muslim holidays, but not for the Asian Lunar New Year, Diwali or many other holidays?
- A 2007 survey found that 58% of Sikh students in New York schools reported being bullied at school on account of their religious identity?
- Secular or atheist students may also be victims of bullying? A 2013 survey found that 50% of Americans consider atheism “threatening.”
- Dozens of congregations hold prayer services each weekend in New York public school buildings – and nearly all are Protestant churches?
- Approximately 15% of NYC students attend faith-based or parochial schools – but many of these schools are religiously diverse as well?
- A 2010 survey found that 63% of Americans believe it is unconstitutional to teach about world religions in a public school? (And by the way, did you know they’re wrong?)
Students in the Learning Together fellowship program are working together to explore issues like these, then share their perspectives with other New Yorkers by publishing original essays. The links on this page will give you a sense of the issues at the heart of the fellowship program.
Click for discussions of religious school holidays:
“Muslims in New York City Unite on Push to Add Holidays to School Calendar” (2014 article in the New York Times)
“Lawmakers Urge New York Education Chancellor to Make Diwali a School Holiday” (2014 article in the News India Times)
“The Case for Muslim School Holidays” (2013 fact sheet prepared by the Coalition For Muslim School Holidays)
“NYC’s Holidays for Muslims Could Be Unconstitutional” (2014 op-ed by Farhan Memon, co-founder, Muslim Bar Association of NY)
And check out this 2014 Interfaith Center program for students at DeWitt Clinton High School, exploring the debate over school closings for major Muslim holidays:
Click for discussions of weekend worship services in New York City schools:
“New York City Can Block Religious Services in Public Schools, Appeals Court Says“ (2014 article in the New York Times)
“Separation of Church and School” (2011 op-ed by Katherine Stewart, author of The Good News Club)
“The Constitution is for Everyone – Education should be too” (2012 op-ed by Fernando Cabrera, NY City Council, and Jeremy Del Rio, 20/20 Vision for Schools)
Click for discussions of bullying targeted at religious and secular students:
“Go Home Terrorist”: A Report on Bullying Against Sikh American School Children (2014 report by the Sikh Coalition)
Bullying in New York City Schools: Educators Speak Out (2010 report by the Sikh Coalition, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the NY Civil Liberties Union).
“Bullied for Not Believing in God” (2013 article in The Atlantic)
Click for broader discussions of religion in American public schools:
Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Schools (written and edited by Charles Haynes and Oliver Thomas, for the First Amendment Center)
Religion in the Public Schools (by Anne Marie Lofaso, for Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
And check out this 2014 presentation by Charles Haynes, at ICNY’s Religious Worlds of New York summer institute for teachers, exploring the study of religion in American schools:
And this 2014 program on “American Education and the Separation of Church and State: Fact vs Fiction,” sponsored by the CUNY Institute for Education Policy:
These are all important sources, but do you know what most are missing? Student voices! Stay tuned for our fellows’ unique contributions to these conversations – coming soon to an online or print publication near you.
