There are a lot of people in the world, in fact, right now there are 6,877,185,416 with a newborn baby gasping for breath for the first time every ten seconds. That said, many may follow a religion or worship a higher power. Not everyone follows the same religion as there are twelve major religions and over 1,200 in the world (Wilson, 2006, p.11). The inclusion of religion in the public school system is one of the most difficult issues to debate. When should separation of church and state come into play? The fact that not everyone has the same religious faith raises the question of whether religion should be public or privatized in schools. This essay will explain the history and context of religion in public schools, the views of conservative and liberal elites on religion, and whether the issue of religion in the education system will increase or decrease in the coming years. Section II. – History and Context of Religion in Schools There are many public schools in the United States that are guilty of having a religious activity in their curriculum at some point during the day, whether it is a morning prayer or even the Pledge of Allegiance, as some have argued. But where should we draw the line between what is too much? How can there be an impartial decision on what should be restricted and what should be allowed in the public education system? There are many private schools across the United States that hold a classroom prayer or group prayer broadcast throughout the school. The question is: should this same school prayer be held in public school systems? In this case the problem arises when you have a classroom full of students of different religious faiths and you broadcast throughout the school...... middle of paper ......d and what shouldn't. A line must be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not; the only problem is knowing where to place it. For many, myself included, keeping religion out of the public eye is the best solution, to maintain peace and avoid future conflicts caused by religious clashes. Works Cited Hennessey, J. and McConnell, A. (2008). First Amendment. The Constitution of the United States: a graphic adaptation (pp. 23-24). New York: Hill and Wang. Holm, J. L. (1975). Teaching religion at school: a practical approach. London: Oxford University Press. The Holy Bible (pp. 6.5-6). (2008). Matthew 6.5-6. Chicago: North American Publisher. Marshall, P. (January 12, 2001). Religion at school. CQ Researcher, 11, 1-24. Retrieved from http://0-library.cqpress.com.library.svsu.edu/cqresearcher/ Wilson, M. (2006). World religion. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.