Even the Russians are trying to teach their kids values these days, and Russia has just come up with a brilliant plan to accomplish this: allow the kids to choose to study one religion, several religions, or secular ethics. What a concept!
If this idea were tried in the United States, it might stop the flight out of the public school system. One of the biggest complaints against public schools is that they do not teach any morals or values. One of the biggest reasons parents choose a private school or homeschooling is to have religion and values taught. Just think -- no more mortgaging the house and handing over an arm and a leg to pay for private schools!
In some areas the percentage of students attending private schools exceeds forty percent. To meet this high demand, it is not uncommon for a large city to have more than a hundred private schools to choose from -- all at great cost to the parents. To find out what percentage of kids are attending private schools in your area, check out www.city-data.com.
The age-old reason that public schools currently do not offer religion is because of the "separation of church and state" philosophy. But that really means that government shall not force a particular religion on anyone. It doesn't mean the government has to act like religions and ethics do not exist. By offering choices like Russia is doing, the problem is solved.
From the Associated Press via news.yahoo.com:
If this idea were tried in the United States, it might stop the flight out of the public school system. One of the biggest complaints against public schools is that they do not teach any morals or values. One of the biggest reasons parents choose a private school or homeschooling is to have religion and values taught. Just think -- no more mortgaging the house and handing over an arm and a leg to pay for private schools!
In some areas the percentage of students attending private schools exceeds forty percent. To meet this high demand, it is not uncommon for a large city to have more than a hundred private schools to choose from -- all at great cost to the parents. To find out what percentage of kids are attending private schools in your area, check out www.city-data.com.
The age-old reason that public schools currently do not offer religion is because of the "separation of church and state" philosophy. But that really means that government shall not force a particular religion on anyone. It doesn't mean the government has to act like religions and ethics do not exist. By offering choices like Russia is doing, the problem is solved.
From the Associated Press via news.yahoo.com:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a pilot project Tuesday that will require schoolchildren to take classes in religion or secular ethics.
The proposal is part of a Kremlin effort to teach young Russians morals in the wake of a turbulent period of uncertainty following the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union.
Medvedev said preteen students at about 12,000 schools in 18 Russian regions would take the classes. They will be offered the choice of studying the dominant Russian Orthodox religion, Islam, Buddhism or Judaism, or of taking an overview of all four faiths, or a course in secular ethics.
Students and their parents must be allowed to choose freely, Medvedev said...
By 2012, the classes might be expanded nationwide....
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