Public Schools Ignoring Evolution

Evolutionary theory is the only scientific theory that explains how life has developed on Earth, but too few school students are learning about it. Teachers are afraid of a public backlash from religious extremists who object to the teaching of facts that conflict with their religious mythology; as a consequence, their kids are growing up to be as ignorant as they are.

The New York Times reports:

"The most common remark I've heard from teachers was that the chapter on evolution was assigned as reading but that virtually no discussion in class was taken," said Dr. John R. Christy, a climatologist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, an evangelical Christian and a member of Alabama's curriculum review board who advocates the teaching of evolution. Teachers are afraid to raise the issue, he said in an e-mail message, and they are afraid to discuss the issue in public.

Dr. Frandsen, former chairman of the committee on science and public policy of the Alabama Academy of Science, said in an interview that this fear made it impossible to say precisely how many teachers avoid the topic. "You're not going to hear about it," he said. "And for political reasons nobody will do a survey among randomly selected public school children and parents to ask just what is being taught in science classes."

But he said he believed the practice of avoiding the topic was widespread, particularly in districts where many people adhere to fundamentalist faiths. "You can imagine how difficult it would be to teach evolution as the standards prescribe in ever so many little towns, not only in Alabama but in the rest of the South, the Midwest - all over," Dr. Frandsen said.

Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, said she heard "all the time" from teachers who did not teach evolution "because it's just too much trouble." ... Dr. Wheeler said the science teachers' organization hears "constantly" from science teachers who want the organization's backing. "What they are asking for is 'Can you support me?' " he said, and the help they seek "is more political; it's not pedagogical."

There is no credible scientific challenge to the idea that all living things evolved from common ancestors, that evolution on earth has been going on for billions of years and that evolution can be and has been tested and confirmed by the methods of science. But in a 2001 survey, the National Science Foundation found that only 53 percent of Americans agreed with the statement "human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals." ... These findings set the United States apart from all other industrialized nations... In other industrialized countries, Dr. Miller said, 80 percent or more typically accept evolution, most of the others say they are not sure and very few people reject the idea outright.

Evolution is only the start. Because of the fundamental nature of evolutionary theory and the way in which biblical literalism contradicts pretty much all known facts about the nature of our world, other areas of science are beginning to come under assault as well. Teaching the facts about geology, physics, or the Big Bang are starting to create controversy in areas where religious extremists have sufficient power. The ignorant masses of conservative evangelicals are attempting to retard America's scientific development by putting their religious myths about cold, hard facts — and too often, they are succeeding.

Read More:

• Evolution vs. Creationism
• Science vs. Religion
• What is Creationism?
• What is Intelligent Design?
• What is Science?