What has the Supreme Court determined about school prayer or moments of silence?

The Supreme Court has established that for practices such as school prayer or moments of silence to comply with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, they must have a secular purpose. This means that the intention behind the practice should not promote or endorse religion. Decisions such as "Engel v. Vitale" and "Wallace v. Jaffree" clarify that while schools can allow voluntary moments of silence, these practices must not be used to encourage religious activities or sentiments.

Having a secular purpose ensures that the state does not favor any particular religion or non-religion, upholding the principle of separation of church and state. The Court has consistently ruled that any school-sponsored religious activity that lacks a secular focus runs the risk of being deemed unconstitutional, thus reinforcing the necessity for a non-religious intent in such situations. In contrast, practices that may appear neutral or permissive without this clear secular purpose can lead to conflicts with the Establishment Clause.