This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Thursday, June 23rd, 2016. I'm Caleb Brown.

The bland uniformity of the typical public school is not the answer as we try to protect religious liberty. Families should have the ability

to choose schools based on their deepest convictions. Charles Glenn is a professor of education

leadership at Boston University.

He spoke at Cato's Protecting Religious Liberty Conference held last week.

The last time I spoke at a Cato event, I believe was 20 years ago in the auditorium

downstairs. To celebrate Cato's publication. 20 years ago in the auditorium downstairs

to celebrate Cato's publication of my report

on educational freedom in Eastern Europe.

It was commissioned by the first Bush administration

and then suppressed by the incoming Clinton administration.

I had the pleasure of giving copies of that Cato book recently on my trips to Ukraine to advise on reforming their educational system to promote freedom.

I mention that study because of its two primary themes, how government can misuse popular schooling to seek to impose

uniformity and obedience, and the way in which many families, when a chance will seek to create or choose schools for their children,

reflecting their deepest convictions.

My report documented how such initiatives were a primary expression of new freedoms as communist regimes fell.

This made it unwelcome to the American education establishment and its allies.

The present conference has been called because of a widespread perception that religious

liberty is under threat in the United States and perhaps most crucially in education.

There are four aspects of religious liberty essential to this discussion.

First, religious liberty protects what is

precious to human beings at the most fundamental level. More than identities

...