According to this article by Bill Poovey, he is, or rather, his teaching of evolution. According to the article, Eugenie Scott claims it's more difficult than ever to teach the theory of evolution to American children. It cites Kansas, where school boards can criticize the theory, and also Georgia, where the textbooks had disclaimers that evolution was a theory, not a fact added to the textbooks until a court ordered them removed.
School is a venue for learning, and a place for learning theories, not just concrete facts. I don't understand why it's such an issue to teach the concept of evolution to students. For those who would argue that it's "not the truth," fiction isn't the truth, either, but I had to read "A Separate Peace," "Frankenstein," "Of Mice and Men," "Cry, the Beloved Country," and countless other books in school. Perhaps it would be better if we stuck specifically to nonfiction writing, such as Children are Wet Cement," (a real title).
It can't hurt education to learn that there might be a different way things happen. It is, after all, a theory. (I don't understand the Georgia court decision to remove the disclaimers, either. It's a theory, they just emphasized that.
1 comment:
Have to agree with you Steve. In Australia, we've had the same type issues with evolution as you describe, with our education board in some States. I think it's ludicrous to try and ban it or down play it. Life is surrounded by theories,my whole academic career was/is filled with criminal theories,psychological,philisophical and socialist theories.....many based on evolution. No one is forcing people to agree with it, but it's great to know it's there.
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