As if the slaughter of children amid screams and shattered stained glass wasn’t cause enough for grief, American opinion makers were convulsed once again this week in a debate over the role of prayer in the wake of a mass shooting, this time at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. (Smith & Stanley, AP News)
Read MoreThey lost months of schooling to the Covid lockdowns, have been exposed to an explosion in online pornography and have had more screen time and access to social media than ever before. Now the most comprehensive poll of British 16 and 17-year-olds reveals the widespread repercussions for their development, education and social lives. (Wheeler, The Times)
Read MoreSince the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, public security funding for congregations and religious schools has climbed into the billions of dollars. While much of it has been secured by religious minorities, the deadly shooting this week at a Minneapolis parish could be a moment of change for Catholics, the country’s largest faith group. (Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Read MoreIn Texas, every public and charter school student will be without their phones during the school day this fall. Brigette Whaley, an associate professor of education at West Texas A&M University, expects to see "a more equitable environment" in classrooms with higher student engagement. (Carrillo, NPR)
Read MoreThe Church of England’s latest cathedral statistics show continued growth in 2024, with weekly attendance rising to 31,900, an increase of eleven per cent compared to 2023. The rise was driven particularly by midweek services, which saw a 15 per cent increase in adult attendance and a 16 per cent increase in child attendance, although still lower than the pre-pandemic figure. (The Church of England)
Read MoreSuch “blue laws” date back centuries in New Jersey and were originally rooted in religion. But modern proponents say they offer a welcome break for locals from traffic and noise in a region near New York City that’s teeming with shoppers throughout the week. (Shipkowski, AP News)
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