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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 1999

Statement

NEA Supports Religious Rights

Statement from Bob Chase, President
National Education Association
on the release of
"The Bible and Public Schools"

The National Education Association is pleased to add its endorsement to The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide. The rights of the nation's children to religious expression must be protected, and we welcome this common-sense guide for teachers, school administrators, and others on how to treat religion and religious conviction with fairness and respect.

Studying about religion is an important part of a complete public education, and NEA supports that practice. This guide provides direction on how to keep the study of religion in an educational, not devotional, context.

NEA is pleased to work with a diverse group of religious, educational, and other organizations in distributing the guide. We encourage the nation's educators to review this important publication and work within their schools and communities to ensure that all students' religious and constitutional rights are protected at school.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.