NationStates Jolt Archive

Defending Science Education Against Fundamentalist Attacks

by James E. Darnell — September 13, 2005


With a chronic shortage of funds, too few well-trained teachers, and in many cases inadequate physical plants, the public schools in American hardly need yet another serious problem. However another serious problem has arisen. A resurgent challenge to the teaching of science has been mounted by evangelical Christians. Teachers are being intimidated from teaching biological evolution by individuals and organized groups. In a survey by the National Science Teachers Association over 30 % of public school teachers reported being pressured to alter teaching of evolution. Well-funded and politically well-organized outfits like The Discovery Institute and its subsidiary, The Center for Science and Culture, in Seattle push demands to include “intelligent design” or ID in public school science classrooms on local school boards, state legislatures, and even in one instance the U. S. Senate. (Senator Rick Santorum inserted language aimed at questioning evolution that was actually in the version of the No Child Left Behind bill that the Senate passed...

http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=12170

Read on, Macduff, And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'

In the Soviet Union, the sciences were ideologically neutral subjects, which over the decades received a lot of funding from the government and interest from students, resulting in great strides being made in that arena. But social, legal, political and economic studies were a minefield. Not that you'd be taken out and shot, that is an absurd popular misconception, but if you got involved, you did have to think carefully about your standing and your career.

Both my parents taught maths.

Strange to see that same concept still alive in its original form.

Read on, Macduff, And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'
As a teacher, it's par for the course. It happens with many groups demanding entrance into the schools in order to push their ideals and notions on the students.

The Creationism/ID debate is just much, much better orginized and bigger than the local group of parents who want Harry Potter out of the English classes because it teaches kids magic.

From the journals I have read though, from science teachers and other educators, the general consensus is that ID belongs somewhere other than the science classroom. No matter our own personal beliefs on the matter, we have a very important job to do that cannot start with our beliefs being forced onto the students.

Having said THAT, a number of science teachers do make the point that having students bring up their own beliefs, on their own, makes for a good starting point when teaching evolution. But the kids have to bring it up on their own, teachers can never state their own feelings or faith on the matter, and the kids faith MUST be respected at all times. In other words, the teacher's desk is not a pulpit.