Panel OKs School Prayer Measure
WASHINGTON (AP) - School districts that unlawfully restrict student prayer could lose their federal funds under a measure approved by a congressional committee.
The conference committee is crafting a compromise between separate education bills passed by the House and Senate. The panel is hoping to send President Bush a package including the measure by Thanksgiving, but the package first needs to be approved by the full House and Senate.
The school prayer measure, approved late Tuesday, represents the first time Congress has approved taking federal funds from school districts that don't follow Education Department prayer guidelines.
Congress has been working on the overhaul of federal education policies since last winter. Among the issues that remain are how much money schools will get from the federal government and how lawmakers will define ``failing schools,'' which would be given more money in exchange for promises of better student performance.
The committee on Tuesday also approved a measure requiring schools to give the same access to the Boy Scouts as to other groups, and another measure requiring that schools give military recruiters the same access as college and business recruiters.
Lawmakers last month approved letting churches and other religious groups compete for federal after-school programs. On Tuesday, they approved an agreement allowing religious organizations to teach safety and drug-abuse prevention programs.
The First Amendment allows informal prayer by students ``when not engaged in school activities or instruction.'' Students have the right to pray individually or in groups, read the Bible or other scriptures, say grace before meals or pray before tests. School districts can impose rules on the prayers, but can't prohibit, discourage or encourage them.
According to the Education Department guidelines, students may also speak to others about religious topics and distribute religious literature, but schools can stop students who are using religion to harass others or who are compelling students to listen as a captive audience.
Religious groups must get the same access to schools as other groups.
Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture, the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible as literature and the role of religion in the history of the United States, for example.
Schools may also teach students about religious influences on art, music and literature. They may also teach about religious holidays, but may not observe them.
On Monday, the Supreme Court turned away a challenge to Virginia's mandatory minute of silence in schools, meaning it remains in force for Virginia's 1 million public school students.
The justices banned organized prayer during class hours in the 1960s, and classroom display of the Ten Commandments in 1980. In the past decade the court has banned clergy-led prayer at high school graduation ceremonies and student-led prayer at football games.
On the Net:
Education Department guidelines on school prayer: http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandschools/
Originally published October 30, 2001.
