Religious Symbols in the Public School Classroom

Abstract

State education must be provided in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner, free from religious coercion or misplaced proselytism. This host of positive and negative obligations in the combined areas of public education, curriculum-building, and the protection of religious liberty may have different legal ramifications depending on the peculiarities of the case. The best way to come to realize that point is to consider the reverse situation: a state that actually refuses to honour the majority’s wishes to display one particular religious symbol in all public school classrooms. A host of human rights norms is triggered by the public display of religious symbols. A state that imposes a crucifix in a public school classroom suggests that the religion that is thereby symbolized is the exemplary religion. Keywords:classroom; education; proselytism; public school; religious symbols