A right to pray: the necessity of a school prayer amendment

The debate over religious expression in the public schools is not a new one, but still, quite interestingly, a controversial one. The landmark decision of Engel v. Vitale in 1962 ignited the nationwide dispute that continues today. Advocates believe that a school- prayer amendment is necessary because it would guarantee students the right to pray and allow religious organizations to receive the same benefits as other school sponsored organizations. A school-prayer amendment, particularly the Religious Freedom Amendment, would provide students an opportunity to share their faith openly and unashamedly with classmates. Why is there a problem with this? Many opponents view a school prayer amendment as not only detrimental to our constitutional principle of separation between church and state, but also unnecessary because students already enjoy the right to pray in public schools. First amendment rights, the history behind school prayer and relevant case law are issues to be discussed in this paper. In addition, solutions to this ongoing debate will be addressed. How would a school-prayer amendment affect our public school system? Would an amendment change the current environment in which our students are even too scared to attend school? Providing answers and exploring the issues raised will be the focus of this thesis