Assigned: Should prayer be allowed in school?
Spoken prayer in school, even if it were decided that it was constitutional, would be impractical. There are so many different faiths and sets of beliefs that, even if a survey was done to decide which prayers would be desired, there would not be enough time to satisfy each child's request. Also, it would be very confusing to young children to hear so many prayers they had never heard each and every day.
I prefer a minute or two of silence for each student to "silently contemplate their desires for the day ahead." If they wish to pray at this time, which could be immediately after the morning announcements, they can do so. If prayer is important to a child and their family, they could set aside time before school to pray. If prayer is supremely important to a family, and they wish for this to be supported in school, they can choose a faith based school. There are often scholarships for families who find this cost prohibitive.
I like the idea of learning about each of the classmates faiths and family traditions. This could certainly include sharing a special prayer. Learning about different religions and different cultures is an important part of a student's education. At the same time, I believe that the appearance of favoring one over another must be avoided above all.
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