I had the opposite experience at a Catholic public school, though most of the teachers (except the born-again 😒) were careful not to talk about their personal opinions much.

Most of the kids I went to school with were either secular or not very religious, though there were some believers for sure. Our debate topics were randomly assigned, so people often argued for things they didn’t believe in.

I agree with your last sentence though, definitely observed that across various different religions.