See You at the Pole Public School Prayer Event

Students Gather at School to Pray at Student-Led Prayer Gathering

Sep 27, 2009

On the fourth Wednesday of September each year, students gather to pray around a flagpole.

For 20 years, students have been gathering to pray around the flagpole at schools in late September and this year around two million youth gathered.

SYATP Background

The event was born in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990. Paul Fleischmann, president of the National Network of Youth Ministries, coordinates the SYATP, See You at the Pole, promotion. Fleischmann says, "For 20 years, we have seen this day serve as a springboard for unity for teenagers on their secondary and college campuses. Challenging youth to take leadership on their campus is always a good idea." [1]

This year’s theme, "Engage: Go and Pray," was inspired from the Book of Law in 2 Kings 22:13 which quotes King Josiah saying, "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found." [1]

Student Led Prayer

While the event may be coordinated by the National Network of Youth Ministries, each event is locally planned by the students. Each location may select how the event will take place. The prayers may be silent, sung, spontaneous, or read. Students decide on the format to be used. The number of students can vary, as well. One student may participate in silence or hundreds may surround the flagpole in song and prayer. [2]

Constitutional Right to Pray

The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religious expression. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…" However, some courts have ruled against religious expression based on the separation of church and state. Many constitutional scholars argue that the 1st Amendment was written to keep government out of religion and not religion out of government. It is an ongoing debate.

Department of Education Decision

In 1998, the federal government’s Department of Education issued a decision on prayer in public schools. "Students may also participate in before or after school events with religious content, such as ‘see you at the flag pole’ gatherings, on the same terms as they say participate in other non-curriculum activities on school premises. School officials may neither discourage nor encourage participation in such an event." [2]

Organizations Defend Religious Rights

Many organizations support students in their right to religious expression and provide legal assistance to them when challenged.

The American Center for Law and Justice sent letters in 1999 to high school principals stating that the school may not prohibit a SYATP event if it is conducted in a "non-disruptive manner, during non-instructional time, either before or after school, at lunchtime, or any other "free" time when students are permitted to talk and mingle with peers on campus." [2]

Religious Rights Confusion

So why the confusion about student led prayer in public schools? Often Muslims enjoy more freedom in expressing their religion on public school property than Christians. Doe v. Santa Fe Independent School district, 168 F.3rd 806 [5th Cir. 1999] did prohibit school-sponsored prayer at sporting events. However, it did not rule against student-sponsored prayer. Student-sponsored prayer is free speech protected by the constitution but many administrators would rather not take the risk of having a possible court battle and, in turn, deny students their constitutional right to free speech.

Institutions like the Rutherford Institute stand for defending the constitutional rights for religious expression for students and all Americans. The ACLU, known for challenging religious issues, has not challenged the See You at the Pole event.

[1] Lawrence D. Jones, Christian Post Reporter, christianpost.com, September 22, 2009.

The copyright of the article See You at the Pole Public School Prayer Event in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish See You at the Pole Public School Prayer Event in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.