Bible content prompts Julian planner recall
Posted on September 29th, 2004 by Anthony K. Valley
This year’s planners contained Bible verses and were recalled from the students to be returned to the vendor.
Julian Middle School’s purchase of 850 student plan books will be collected from students and returned to the publisher after school officials learned they contain references to the Bible.
Principal Victoria Sharts said school staff had no idea last Wednesday when they distributed the planners, which include calendars to help students keep track of their classroom assignments, that the spiral bound books included Biblical references.
The school last year handed out planners published by the same company, Ohio-based Character Builders, Sharts said, but there were no religious overtones or references in that book.
“We were believing the planners would be as they were last year, and we find out it has these references and quotes,” she said.
According to the district’s guidelines on expression and instruction of religion in its schools, teachers must avoid sponsoring religion and avoid statements or behavior that might be interpreted as trying to indoctrinate students into their religious beliefs. Teaching about religion must be instructional, not devotional.
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Filed under: Church and State
Very Sad!! I think that students should have their dose of ‘daily bread’ on their planner.
Kids should get an education at school (along with the planner provided by the school). Religious instruction should be done at home, not prescribed by the school. They can, of course, write in their own favorite inspirational verses from the Gita, the Bible, the Koran, or whatever, but that’s an individual choice for them to make. The school made a mistake in not viewing the materials before distribution, and now they are trying to correct that mistake. Bravo for them! And bravo for the parents who take personal responsibility for their own child’s/children’s religious education outside of public schools.