Americans are divided on what role religion should play in public school, according to a new poll.
Some 34 per cent say religion does not play enough of a role, 26 per cent say its role is about right, and 26 per cent say it plays too much of a role.
Pollsters questioned 1,163 US adult citizens, who were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status.
When broken down by demographics, a majority of Americans who say religion is very important to them are especially likely to say it does not play enough of a role in public schools (56%), as are people who identify as Christians (45%).
Respondents’ views were also mixed on which religions schools should teach about. Thirty-eight per cent of Americans say public schools should teach about all religions equally. Twelve per cent say schools should teach about all religions but give more emphasis to Christianity, while nine per cent say they should only teach about Christianity. Nearly a third (28%) say schools should not teach about any religions.
Among Christians, only 11 per cent say public schools should only teach about Christianity. Twenty per cent say schools should teach about all religions but give more attention to Christianity, while even more (34%) say they should teach about all religions equally.
For those who identified as atheist, agnostic, or having no particular religion, a majority said schools should either teach about all religions equally (40%) or not teach about any religions (41%).
The majority of Americans surveyed are supportive of allowing certain expressions or acknowledgements of religion in schools, including allowing students to wear clothing or jewellery with religious symbols (70% strongly or somewhat support), requiring schools to accommodate students’ religious holidays (67%), allowing student-led religious clubs to meet on school property (60%), and allowing time for student prayer or religious reflection (55%).
Another notable finding: Americans are far more likely to support teaching about contraception in sex education classes (75%) than to support requiring sex education classes to be abstinence-only (37%).
As the debate continues over displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms, more Americans oppose than support the requirement (50% vs. 31%).