Is school silence law really worth it?

My mother, being an elementary school teacher, has told me that finding even a moment of silence in the classroom is rare. This however has changed. Recently, the General Assembly mandated a moment of silence for all Illinois public schools. I doubt the forced silence was the type of silence my mother had been talking about.

The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act makes obligatory what had previously been an option. In 2002 Illinois lawmakers passed a law saying upon discretion of the teacher, a moment of silence can take place. Five years later, the General Assembly approves the newly altered law over a veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The written law caused controversy from the start. School administration debated how long a "moment" actually was. Teachers struggled to determine the best possible way to explain to their second-graders what the silence meant. Most of all, the debate regarding separation of church and state was unleashed.

Moment-of-silence laws have been challenged in both Alabama and Virginia because of the religious baggage both insinuated. In Illinois, the past few weeks have been full of school walk-outs and lawsuits being filed. Is it all worth it?

Some supporters say yes. The silent moment gives students the opportunity to prepare themselves for a productive day ahead. While I may agree, I don't see why we need a law to give these students a moment to focus. All of the time and effort spent on this new law, which had already been adopted in an optional form, could have been used to do good elsewhere in the state. If the General Assembly had substantial reasoning behind their decision, I might be more inclined to support it. Until then, the controversy prevails.

Laura Scott

Arlington Heights