It is widely believed that there is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the United States. What remains to be seen, however, is whether adolescents actually differentiate between legal authorities and other types of authorities. Leveraging cross-sectional, nationally representative data of 12th graders from every year from 2006 to 2017…

In Pakistan, school education is not compulsory for children and, therefore, sending a child to school is a matter of choice for parents. For those parents who choose school education for their children the options are government schools, private fees paid schools and Islamic education schools (Madrassahs). This research uses a large-scale survey…

United Methodist minister David Jenkins was meeting with fellow clergy last year in the small Kansas community of Sharon Springs when one of the pastors made what sounded like a routine request. He noted that the Todd Becker Foundation was coming to town, and the evangelical Christian organization, which purports to warn youngsters about the…

In what may come to rank as one of its most significant cases on religious freedom, "Christian Legal Society v. Martinez" (2010), the Supreme Court affirmed an order of the Ninth Circuit upholding a policy at a public law school in California that required recognized student clubs to admit "all comers" even if they disagreed with organizational…

The Arab Spring exposed the hidden secrets of Egyptian society to the global community. In spite of the insatiable media attention paid to the Mubarak regime and the toll it took on the entire country, Egypt's education system received little attention. For decades, Egypt's public schools have forced students to attend segregated classes, based on…

Background/Context: Conservative jurists and scholars have reached the conclusion that the traditional separation of public funding from religious organizations in K-12 education was "born of bigotry," and inherently anti-Catholic. This claim rests on the misuse of revisionist historical interpretations that emphasize ethno-cultural…

In this article, the author discusses several issues and concerns on the case of religious groups who attempt to seek converts in school, hiding under the guise of assemblies and free talks on any topic that might be of interest to the school. Students are then lured to a pizza party after, where they are subjected to high-pressure evangelism and…

Summarizes a complex case involving a reopened Minnesota elementary school serving children of the Brethren, a religious group that had earlier bought the school. Although no religious instruction occurred there, two taxpayers successfully sued the district. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this decision, noting the secular nature of…

Discusses the impact of the Equal Access Act (1984) on the secondary school. Examines those court cases which served as the precursors of this act. Notes that the extent of participation by religious groups in an open forum remains to be seen. (KO)

Describes recent court decisions which have affected equal access to open forums within schools. Reports that there is much confusion surrounding equal access as defined by the courts. Notes that indecision regarding the constitutionality of equal access has led to a flurry of action by schools. Lists questions facing these schools in deciding…

Examines recent court holdings concerning the schools and the celebration of religious holidays, the establishment of religious clubs and organizations, and the distribution of Bibles. (IRT)

Describes a study that was conducted to determine the extent to which adherents of the New Christian Right were involved in complaints about curriculum materials in the public school districts of Florida from 1986 to 1989. The responses of the chief instructional program supervisors to these censorship activities are also examined. (12 references)…

"Agostini v. Felton" facilitates federal courts' consideration of applications of non-free-speech government-religion interaction. "Stark v. Independent School District No. 640," concerning a reopened Minnesota elementary school attended by children of a technology-adverse religious group, suggests that coincidences between…

Actions taken by the U.S. Supreme Court in two cases during December of 1981 tend to confirm that there is a difference in constitutional standards between K-12 and higher education when determining the rights of students to conduct prayer meetings and worship services on the premises of public institutions. (Author)

Examines President Bush's faith-based and community initiatives proposal, discussing the powerful collaboration between religious institutions and schools (e.g., parent participation and community action); identifying potential dangers in the faith-based movement (e.g., proselytization and compromised professionalism); and noting that religious…