Religious Accommodations In Schools

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Also, such accommodations may distract from the classes’ progress. Thus, as much as society and the school can undermine the other, they can also bolster the other. The school can promote healthy democracy and encourage students to embrace their religion and society can make the school a place of general acceptance and diversity.
Now, the formation and implementation of religious accommodations can be well evaluated through the use of examples. Due to the need to ensure society’s protection of religious freedom and the school’s purpose to educate a general curriculum, the subsequent argument will accept accommodation if it protects a religious belief and it does not hinder the general education of all students and limit the school’s education of the particular student receiving the accommodation. This is the best way to optimize the function of democracy within society and the school’s purpose of creating a consistent knowledge base. This specific mandating system ensures that one does not dominate the other.
Before specific examples will be discussed it is crucial to understand the logistics of such accommodations. Accommodated practices “which put public safety, health, or the human rights and freedoms of others at risk” and “which limit school polices cannot be accommodated for” (). It is important to consider the questions such as “are accommodations considered only for those who seek them out, or are they offered to the broader student population? Are accommodations equally available to all, so that there is no preference (or perceived preference) given to one group? Is the accommodation issue managed in a way so that parents and students are not required to speak up about their beliefs unless they so choose?” These questions underscore the importance of approach and the following examples will reveal ways to answer them in the confines of acceptable accommodations. Generally, the following examples stress that accommodation is most successful when schools have thought out policies in place that account for a majority of religious conflicts that could arise. This decreases the burden of individual teachers dealing with daily conflict. Schools should encourage communication in order to be viewed as an open place where inclusivity and diversity are encouraged and accommodations can be offered. The schools should have guidelines in place that allow students and parents to present them with religious conflict. For example, “students must present verbal or written notice from their parents/guardians specifying their accommodation needs relating to religious observances, including holy days on which they will be absent from school. This notice should be made enough in advance (preferably at the beginning of each school year) to ensure that scheduling of major evaluations, such as tests, assignments or examinations, takes the religious observances into consideration.” (). Additionally, there should be objective criteria in place to determine the feasibility of accommodations. An accommodation being denied may also be “based on an assessment of costs, outside sources of funding, and health and safety” () The student must receive a rationale if an accommodation cannot be granted to maintain openness between the school, students and families. The “collaboration among school, student, family, and religious community is needed in order to develop appropriate accommodation.” (). One such example of contention regarding religious accommodations is opening and closing practices during school.
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For example, if a school says the pledge at the beginning of each day, a student should be able to choose not to participate and stay in the room or leave. This is acceptable because the use of “God” in the pledge may offend that student’s religious beliefs. Additionally, this accommodation does not detract from the experience and rights of other students nor does it lessen the school’s educational reign over the student. Another area of concern is school mandated activities and calendars conflicting with religious days. There was dispute in “Michigan in October 2005, because the state scheduled exams during the Muslim holy days of Ramadan and the Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur.” (). In this case, accommodations should be made and alternate exam dates should be offered in order for freedom of religion to be protected. This offers no threat to the rights of students not a part of the specific group seeking the accommodation nor the learning of the

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