IGAC Teaching about Religion
Public schools are obligated to maintain neutrality in matters of religion. Schools must refrain from advocacy of a particular religious position. The public charter school teaches about religion as an opportunity to increase sensitivity, understanding, appreciation, and factual information about cultural and religious diversity in a supportive and respectful environment for staff, students and parents of all backgrounds. The Director will develop administrative regulations that include guidelines consistent with the philosophy that religion in the schools must be educational in nature and schools must be sensitive to all beliefs.
Religion in the Curriculum
1. The public charter school recognizes that religion is an intrinsic component of the human experience and therefore supports the inclusion of religious literature, music, drama and the arts from multiple sources in the curriculum and in school activities, provided it is intrinsic to the learning experience and is presented objectively.
2. The emphasis on religious themes in the arts, literature and history should be only as extensive as necessary for a balanced and comprehensive study of these areas. Such studies should never foster any particular religious tenets or demean any religious beliefs.
3. As curriculum and instruction includes beliefs , theories, views and precepts, they will be represented as such, not as fact.
4. Student-initiated expressions to questions or assignments which reflect their beliefs or nonbeliefs about a religious theme shall be accommodated. For example, students are free to express religious belief or nonbelief in compositions, art forms, music, speech and debate.