What is the law on school prayer?

In California, school prayer is subject to the laws of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This means that public schools are prohibited from sponsoring religious activities, such as prayer. At the same time, the First Amendment also protects students’ right to freely express their religious beliefs. Therefore, public school students in California are allowed to pray and discuss their faith with other students and with teachers. With that said, the school’s administration may not require, encourage or discourage students to pray. Prayer must be voluntary and initiated by the students themselves. Furthermore, any instruction related to prayer must be academic in nature, such as studying the content of certain scriptures, and not be used as a devotional or worship exercise. It is also important to remember that any religious activities must not disrupt the educational process, interfere with the rights of other students, or be used to coerce or pressure others to participate. Lastly, teachers and other school officials must be careful to ensure that any religious expression does not advance, promote or likely appear to advance or promote any particular form of prayer or religion.

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