Schools questioned on religious policies - failure to excuse students

[The Straight Story]

Schools questioned on religious policies
Government investigates failure to excuse students
BY LISA SCHENCKER, Californian staff writer

e-mail: [e-mail] | Wednesday, Oct 4 2006 10:30 PM

Last Updated: Wednesday, Oct 4 2006 10:34 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice is questioning the Bakersfield City School District for failing to excuse students for a religious holiday.

Downtown Elementary parent Nona Darling said the district refused to excuse her children for Ash Wednesday in March. She pulled her children out of school at noon that day to go to church, and her children both received unexcused absences, she said.

"That's just not the America I learned about in school," Darling said.

District officials said they did nothing wrong by not excusing the children.

http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/77248.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Oh, those poor persecuted christians.

Do jews get excused absences for the high holy days? Hannukah? Do muslims get excused absences for ramadan? How about scientologists for L Ron's birthday?

Can't you be satisfied that the government MANDATES HOLIDAYS for Christmas and good friday?

[The Straight Story]

2. Actually, when I was a kid, the jewish kid in our school did take off

for hannukah and such, no one had a problem with it.

Don't know about muslims, back in the early 70's at school we basically had christian, agnostic, and jewish milling about.

We even sang hannukah songs, etc, so the kid did not feel left out (and we learned a lot by such exercises).

Was nice to celebrate the culture of others, removes stigmas and fear. I also remember career day each year where a parent would come in and discuss what they did. Pretty cool stuff!

[nemo137]

3. At least in the district I grew up in, yes.

Jews did get excused for High Holy Days, and concessions were made for Ramadan. Your family called in, told the office that you'd be leaving early for church, and that was that. You were expected to talk to your teachers and get any homework you'd miss or reschedule tests. Same as having a doctors appointment.