Church/State Issues Related to Public Education, Essay Example

The role of the schools as a place for academic development has changed increasingly over time. The early developers of the academic curriculum envisioned a situation where schools played a role of purely academic development and the rest was done by the other players in human development. These early educationists did not envision situation where the school would be compelled to play the role of police, minister social workers as well as the role of minister to the children (Freedman 1990 par.2-6). The propulsion of the schools towards these new roles also comes with a need to adapt effectively and develop the curriculum to play a bigger role in these new functions.

Over time as this role of the schools changed, the development of public schools took centre stage and the state took more active participation in the development of both the curriculum and the facilities that are to be used by these schools for student development (Hutchison 1991 par.1-68).

Hutchison further notes that, the development of the state function in education and the development of educational authorities’ role saw the church slowly cede centre stage in educational management.

Following this change, there has been a push for the development of a non sectarian education system with most of the church leaders opposing the introduction of amendments to public schools. The earlier years saw the push by church organs for state assistance in their schools. This started especially when the Catholic Church started pushing for assistance with busses in their schools. The protestant churches got into the fray and started claiming that their schools were common and non-sectarian unlike those of Catholics which were parochial and sectarian. Following these arguments they ended up politicising the issue getting back up from the civilians and funding the non sectarian schools.

Poor people in the rural areas with low income were against compulsory schooling and argued it as a threat to their parental right to the children. These therefore paved way for public schools that displaced the famous private catholic education institutions in the area. The public schools which had emerged with differences that involved both private church and states, lead to the removal of religious borders that became more secular in character. Several reformers interested in this agenda recommend racial segregation in education sector and spoke against people who publicly spoke about it. Particular interests related to either family or religious issues were to be sacrificed fort the good of the community. Unlike the objectives of government amendments on the right of individuals to practice religion without its interference that lead to many public resources landing in the hands of religious schools. These was however not a problem with parents since those educational institutions had quality, quantity as well as provided strong leadership, educational achievement, safety and availability of education. They did not consider the religious aspect of the institution. Some of them believed that moral enlightment was provided by Christian doctrines to many families, schools and churches..

Many who were against the issue of the government being neutral on matters of religion went further to emphasize on having a community that had secularised values. The government is vital in examining religious liberty and control of school prayers as stated by (Lee 2009 par.1). On the other hand Tilton v. Richardson, (1971) Cited that in other recent cases the government approaches the issue of religion and schools by issuing text books to be used in both public and private learning institution with no pay with intervention of the law and it emerges that it does not have an effect on the religion either war of inhibiting it or advancing its religious values. All those allegations about grants to educational institutions from the government or public were viewed as statutes that did advance secular purposes, Its principles and effects were neither of advance or inhibited the religious values and finally were not in any way  foster excessive government entanglement with the government. The program only promoted legislative purposes. However, in other higher institutions like the public university and colleges students do not embrace religious values and therefore no advances are associated with religious advancements. In cases of such institutions operated under a certain denomination do not have effects on advancement. (Hutchison 1991 par.1-68).

According to Mueller v. Allen, (1983) the state provides learning facilities like text books, tuition and transportation expenses for both secondary and elementary schools regardless of being a private or public. The state had interest in ensuring that both religious and non religious private schools survived. They encouraged this policy because these schools had an important mission in relieving the education burden of public schools and ensuring that learning is facilitated in a large population percentage in the whole state.  The other thing was posing competition that facilitated competitive learning in schools. Therefore the both cases were important in promoting states education background. The blind would not pass unnoticed in that the state located funds their rehabilitation through vouchers or tax credits increasing the supply of good schools and thereby reducing financial problems to most education centres as well as promoting good performance of students mostly from poor, low income and underprivileged families. The vouchers and tax credit advances the secular purpose in the use of private schools to promote public values (Fisher 2009 par.2). One of which is that competition improves education achievements t lower cost without the fear of choice limited to public schools that shield such schools from competitive pressures required s force for personal improvement. In absence of private competition public schools will not allowed to run out of finances and non performing teachers would be allowed to continue with their jobs. Values such s pluralism and diversity re to be boosted where by single common public school system failure to reflect tolerance of differences and single ideological agenda is encouraged. The government should treat all citizens without discrimination since justice demands it. In cases of developed urban areas, private schools re the only racially integrated education centres for minorities and thus choice improves their economic prospects and their racial backgrounds narrow considerably in private catholic schools unlike in public centres where the gap widens. Therefore the purpose of secular is advancement by choice hence meeting the religion establishment test (Hutchison 1991 par.1-68).

However, the principle aim or the primary effect of choice will not be directed to advance religion. These are otherwise explained by the facts that funds go to parents who select schools public or private. With the system of credit and vouchers made available to the parents, irrespective of whether it is meant for public or private school does not have any difference from other rehabilitation funds that benefits social security and the recipient is not limited on the grounds of being religious or non religious. Seemingly the system of open choice has a primary purpose of improving education among students and providing minimum education income.

The other issue is on market system that provides funds to parents with students at private or public schools do not lead to excessive entanglement whether it has any relationship with religious matters. The whole issue was of secular importance, getting good education and not discriminative one. It is evidenced that most students who get admission in catholic universities or colleges re from non catholic denomination families. Their min importance in them is to acquire knowledge and quality one.

Therefore, the role of government in learning is to promote the security of individual rights and providing some pf the things that they can not afford for themselves. On the basis of mutual agreement and benefit, maintenance of the schools and securing the interest of the poor to void being oppressed by others who re privileged. Choice being not oppressive and promotes the rights of all people without discrimination mostly in the case of credit and vouchers where government boost activities that are secular it creates better links with religion to facilitate delivery of important services in the community. Thus the whole thing is constitutional. Any educational reform amendment or proponent of choice requires government attention.

Work Cited

Freedman S. G “Small Victories: The real world of a teacher, her students and their High    school.” (1990)  New York: Harper & Row. Par 2-6.

Fisher M E, “Students in Action: Debating Church-State Relations and Related Tree- Speech Issues” <http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:oYfxIs3CyiwJ:www.abanet.org/publiced/youth/sia/churchstate/home.html+:+Church/state+issues+related+to+public+educ            ation&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ke&client=firefox-a> (2009) par.2.

Hutchison H “Church-State issues” Retrieved on August 5^th 2009 from <http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=6021for> (1991) US. Par.1-68.

Lee, R. “The History Guy Issues: Links to the church State issues” <http://www.historyguy.com/issues_church_and_state.html> (2009) par.1.