STUDENT ARTICLE: Should teachers be allowed to openly express their religion?

This is a very controversial issue and has split communities and schools alike. In public schools in America there are rules about what a teacher can wear and what they can’t wear, but teachers are allowed express their religious views in the way of a religious necklace like one with a cross on it. Teachers are not allowed to wear some religious clothing in maintained schools because the schools must stay secular, or at least open to all faiths. Teachers are not allowed to advocate or try to convince students in any way to join a certain religion. A detailed look at what a teacher can or cannot wear and what they are allowed to say.

Many people have very different views on the subject on whether teachers should be allowed to openly express their religious views. Generally religious people are very pro teachers being allowed to express their religious views and atheists being very much against it.

A Christian might say that teachers expressing their religion will teach students about different religions and cultures. It will widen their knowledge and more them understanding of people beliefs. How can something that broadens pupils' horizons and teaches them about the world, be construed as a bad thing? Is not the reason for schools in the first place is to educate?
An atheist might believe that teachers should not be allowed to express their religion, because it is forcing religion on the students. They believe that it is not teaching the about the world and how the world came about because God does not exist. All it teaches you is how certain religions express their faith something that will not be very useful for an atheist.

You also have to take in to account what teachers are allowed to wear in comparison to students. There has been a lot of talk in the press about whether students should be allowed to wear religious symbols in school because it is not part of the school uniform. There have been many high profile court cases on if pupils are allowed to wear religious symbols. Like the case of SarikaSingh, where she was excluded from school for wearing a religious bangle (Kara: one of the 5Ks in Sikhism) because it broke their no jewellery rule. Although, at these same schools teachers are allowed to wear religious dress and jewellery themselves. How can this be fair, what gives the teachers the right to wear religious symbols if the students are not allowed to do the same? In faith schools it is clear that religious expression is advocated.

Teachers should not be allowed to express their religion in the cases where their schools are meant to be religiously neutral, but some people believe that being secular can be fundamental to an open and sharing educational community. However, teachers should be allowed to express their religion because if all religions are expressed and celebrated the school is not prioritising one religion over another.

Your view on whether teachers should be allowed to openly express their religion depends on whether you believe that a student can learn from the teachers expression of their religion and if you believe that someone that a child looks up to like teacher expressing a religious could change the students religious view. Personally I believe that it is fine for a teacher to express their religion through their dress and by stating their religion, but I don’t think a teacher should be allowed to go any further than that.