School prayer, as a political issue in the United States, refers mainly to the practice of groups of public school students praying in school. Some people also use the term school prayer to refer to Bible readings and other religious activities in the schools. Private prayer by individual students is protected by law in the United States. However, Americans disagree about whether public schools should encourage students to engage in prayer or any other religious activity.
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued four major decisions regarding state-approved religious activities in schools. According to the court, such activities violate the U.S. Constitution. In 1962, the court ruled in Engel v. Vitale that states cannot compose official prayers for students to recite. In School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp (1963), the court decided that required daily Bible readings are also prohibited. In Wallace v. Jaffree (1985), the court ruled that a law encouraging students to observe a moment of silence for voluntary prayer violates the Constitution. In Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000), the court ruled that students could not lead public prayer sessions before high school football games.
The court based these rulings on the First Amendment to the Constitution. That amendment prohibits government from endorsing religion or interfering with religious beliefs. Because public schools are supported by taxes, they are considered government institutions.
The First Amendment does not prohibit a student from praying in school. Instead, it prohibits public schools from being involved in the prayers or other religious activities of students. Moments of silence in which individual students may choose to pray are constitutional. However, teachers may neither instruct nor encourage students to use the time for prayer. Studies of religious history, literature, and music are constitutional if they are taught in an academic rather than a devotional manner.
Many Americans believe praying and experiencing other group religious activities in schools would help grow the moral character of students. Constitutional amendments to change the law to allow such activities have been proposed in Congress. Many other Americans believe the best way to protect individual religious beliefs is to leave the First Amendment as it has been since it was originally written. So far, none of the proposed amendments has gained enough support to become part of the Constitution.
