“One in five students said they had experienced [religious] discrimination by a school staff member” (Blumberg). The rise in hostility against students with religious beliefs is rapidly becoming an issue in the public education system. Students are now facing failing grades and rejected college applications from schools for expressing their religious beliefs. Schools are choosing to ignore, or even worse, participate in harassment to students of faith. In American society, students of faith are discriminated against for their beliefs by their peers and teachers, including here at Blue Valley West. A solution for this problem could include a club or assembly that educates all students about the different religions in order clear up misunderstandings …show more content…
In a recent survey that was conducted at Blue Valley West, one of the outrageous responses quoted from a student overheard “people in Jag saying that they don't trust Muslims or that the Muslim Student Association is a ‘terrorist training area’” (Google Form). These ideas stem from a misunderstanding of the many different religions within Blue Valley West. The Muslim Student Association is sponsored by Mrs. Garcia, a social studies teacher at Blue Valley West. In a recent interview, Mrs. Garcia said, “the Muslim faith is not understood by others, which is why we have this club to educate others about the Muslim faith” (Garcia). The disrespect that occurs within our school about religion diversity is not acceptable, which is why something must be done to stop the religious discrimination. One of the survey responses also reported that students overheard jokes about several religions, such as sweeping Jew’s ashes from the Holocaust and all Catholics being homophobic (Google Form). The religious stereotypes placed on students of faith at Blue Valley West is not only insensitive, but includes a lack of respect for religious …show more content…
The evidence above shows that religious discrimination is an issue at Blue Valley West, and also proves that these stereotypes placed on students of faith are due to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of religious differences. In order to effectively abolish religious discrimination and these stereotypes, students should be educated about different religions to understand their peers and where these stereotypes come from. By doing so, students can learn about different religions, and be more aware of how their comments and jokes may hurt people. This can be done in a number of ways: through clubs, assemblies, and creating a website. Students can initiate these activities by first voicing their opinions out about religious discrimination to their peers, and then going on to describe the issue to a teacher who can help them take action. A club, an assembly, or a website are all effective ways to promote religious differences and abolish discrimination within Blue Valley