ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512110075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ARLINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
Children have far more leeway to pray in public schools than their parents think, U.S. Education Secretary Dick Riley says.
Riley has endorsed a guidebook to help families understand what their religious rights in schools are.
``In clear and simple terms, [the publication outlines] just how the First Amendment does protect their children's religious freedom,'' Riley said.
Riley, a former South Carolina governor, on Thursday endorsed ``A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools.''
He said most disputes about school prayer can be resolved if parents and administrators seek common ground.
Education Department guidelines issued last summer and those in the booklet ``can go a long way toward clearing up much of the confusion because many parents believe religion has no [legal] place in our public schools,'' he said.
The booklet is sponsored by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers and The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. Copies will be sent to PTA chapters nationwide.
Riley also reaffirmed his opposition to pending constitutional amendments that would allow general prayer in schools.
``There is absolutely no need to tamper with the Bill of Rights by changing the First Amendment,'' he said. ``Every parent should know that this nation's public schools are not religion-free zones.''
The booklet offers questions and answers about when children can and cannot pray in school. The guide also explains the gray areas.
For example, one question asks, ``Did the Supreme Court rule against student prayer in public schools?''
The answer: ``No. The Supreme Court has struck down state-sponsored or state-organized prayer in public schools. A moment of silence may be led by school officials, as long as it does not promote prayer over other types of quiet contemplation.''
That doesn't mean students are free to pray at school-sponsored events, such as graduation exercises, because the ``courts are divided.''
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB