When discussing Religious Education, the topic of religious symbols in educational spaces is largely overlooked in academic literature and often side-lined in political considerations as well. This paper examines the issue of religious symbols in public schools by highlighting two foci: how the Muslim veil is managed in public schools in select…

Somali girls who veil are often misrepresented as being oppressed by a patriarchal culture. Research gathered from a critical ethnographic study with sixth grade Somali girls sheds light on their understanding of the hijab and their experiences with anti-Muslim discrimination. Findings reveal that the hijab provided a source of strength from which…

Despite more than 25 years of existence of Kazakhstan in a new political reality after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government and society are still afraid of religious institutions and alternatives in many areas of social life, including education. This article reviews the reasons for such an attitude and the issues that arise with…

This article examines the way a group of Latina girls responded to instances of sexual harassment in a public high school in Madrid (Spain). I begin with a current event: educational reforms seeking to address the 'problem' of youth democratic disengagement. Drawing on ethnographic and genealogical modes of inquiry, I examine the subjective…

Religion in public schools has long been a controversial issue. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that teachers and administrators cannot lead prayers in public schools, and a decision in 2000 barred school districts from sponsoring student-led prayers at football games. At the same time, the court has held that students retain a First…

The messages conveyed by visual representations in the early childhood education (ECE) environment are critical to ensuring the success of inclusive practices. Given that anti-bias education permeates and affects everything which takes place in ECE institutions, the challenge for early childhood educators is to think creatively about how classroom…

The purpose of this study was to investigate message T-shirts and school safety as rated by high school teachers (n = 47) and students (n = 275). Wearing message T-shirts displaying offensive statements/images may contribute to perceptions of a psychologically and/or physically unsafe school environment. Participants gave their impressions of 12…

This article discusses the regulation of teacher dress and its intersection with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, individual State Religious Garb Statutes, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The season of new buds and blossoms also signals fashion changes in the college classroom. Shorts, short skirts, tees, muscle tops, underwear exposed by low-rise pants, hospital scrubs, and flip-flops appear. With the advent of warm weather, women's clothing style can be tight and/or revealing. Jewelry and accessories become more visible. Today,…

This book focuses on the recent debates surrounding headscarves in public schools in France, where the wearing of an article of clothing became the focus of intense national debate. The book is divided into two parts. Part One, Framing the Discussion, includes the following essays: (1) Essay: Immigration and Integration in Europe (2) France; (3)…

The question of whether wearing religious garb in the public schools is a violation of the constitutional provision for state-church separation is discussed. (CK)

This paper discusses the adoption of mandatory and voluntary uniform policies in school systems across the United States. Mandatory policies have been adopted by 6 of the nations largest districts--Birmingham, Chicago, Dayton, Long Beach, San Antonio, and Oakland. Approximately 35 other districts have voluntary policies, and countless others are…

In St. Louis, Missouri, the teachers are given excellent opportunities to put their pupils in touch with the world around them. Entering a school-room during a geography lesson, the visitor may find that the children, after a thorough study of the relief map, are transported into the country which is the subject of their lesson. They have before…