why would the supreme court rule, as they did in Engel v. Vitale, that a public school district cannot compose a school player to begin the school day?
A. public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices
B. students are citizens and should not be forced to do things they don't agree with
C. it would take away parents' rights to practice a different religion at home
D. taxpayers should agree before being asked to fund religious activities in public schools
The Supreme Court ruled in Engel v. Vitale that a public school district cannot compose a school prayer to begin the school day primarily because option A is correct: public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices. This ruling was based on the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from endorsing or promoting a specific religion. The Court determined that a school-sponsored prayer composed by the school authorities constituted government endorsement of religion, thus violating the principle of separation of church and state.
