A new poll indicates that many parents and teachers across the United States are increasingly supportive of allowing students to participate in voluntary religious instruction off campus during the school day, particularly as concerns about student mental health continue to grow.
The survey, conducted by RMG Research and first shared with The Christian Post, gathered responses from 1,000 parents between March 25–27 and 200 public school educators between March 20–31.
The research was commissioned by LifeWise Academy, an organization that provides “Bible education to public school students during school hours under released time religious instruction laws.”
When asked about moral and character education in public schools, strong majorities expressed support, with 86% of parents and 93% of educators saying they favored such instruction, while smaller portions — 10% of parents and 4% of educators — said they did not.
Participants were also informed that some school districts permit private organizations to offer voluntary, off-campus programs focused on moral and character education grounded in biblical values, with parental consent and within constitutional guidelines.
After receiving that context, 69% of parents and 73% of educators said they believed these programs would be beneficial, noting that such initiatives have been upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The survey highlighted reported outcomes from schools where such programs have been implemented, stating, “In schools where these programs have been introduced, parents and teachers report a number of positive outcomes, including better behavior, improved grades, better relationships between students, better attendance, and fewer suspensions.”
Support rose even further when respondents considered these reported benefits, with 86% of parents and 89% of educators indicating approval of the programs.
The findings come amid growing concern about students’ mental health, a trend reflected in responses from both educators and families.
Among teachers, large majorities said they were concerned about issues affecting students, including anxiety (93%), depression (91%), bullying and cyberbullying (94%), social isolation (93%), difficulty fitting in (88%), and loneliness (86%).
Parents also reported concerns, though at slightly lower levels, with 69% citing anxiety, 62% pointing to bullying or cyberbullying, and about half expressing concern about depression (52%), social isolation (51%), loneliness (50%), and not fitting in (49%).
The survey further found that awareness of released-time religious instruction laws differed between groups, with 55% of parents saying they were unaware that students can “legally attend voluntary religious instruction off of school property during the school day with their parents’ permission,” while 57% of teachers said they were aware of the option.
The legal foundation for such programs is based on the Zorach v. Clauson decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is “no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence.”
