The principle of separation of church and state affects all government functions, including public schools. In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that religious instruction in public school was unconstitutional. In 1963, it ruled that mandatory reading of Bible verses or prayers are similarly unconstitutional. However, the same First Amendment
guarantees that students may engage in many forms of non-disruptive personal religious expression
, including the wearing of religious clothing and jewelry
. They can pray (individually or in student-led groups) on the school bus, at the flagpole, before lunch, in the corridors, in the classroom before and after lessons, at sports events, etc. They can talk freely about religion to other students outside of class. They can distribute religious literature. If there are any
student-led clubs in the school, they have the right to organize student-led Bible prayer clubs
. Teachers are not allowed to teach any religion as truth
. However, they can teach about
religion, as long as they meet certain requirements. Finally, public schools cannot require students to recite prayers from a specific religion each morning.