Excerpt:
Two weeks ago, students at the Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas, were greeted in the hall by this bulletin board display:
The display was later removed by the school after a brief media reaction. The school released a statement, excerpted below:
Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet teaches the five major religions of the world — Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam — as part of the curriculum. The students study civilizations throughout time, throughout the world. Religion is an important component of the history of civilizations. The students study religion with a focus on the history and geography in the development of civilizations. The school does not promote or proselytize any religion. Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are all taught in a historical context of their study of the world to understand the place of religion and religious ideas in history. There is also a painting of the Last Supper hanging in the school. The teachers are mindful of the sensitivity over religion. The students at Minneha have received these lessons for years.