Opponents of teaching evolution seem particularly intent on emphasizing the supposed "weaknesses" of the theory
The Texas State Board of Education heard testimony on Wednesday regarding revising the science curriculum Texan schools. Social conservatives want to preserve language in curriculum guidelines that references the "strengths and weaknesses" of competing theories. According to several science teachers, the conservatives are mainly interested in ensuring that the "weaknesses" of evolutionary theory are presented to students.
Kevin Fisher, a past president of the Science Teachers Association of Texas, was one of several scientists and teachers who testified in opposition to the current language.
“These weaknesses that they bring forward are decades old, and they have been refuted many, many times over,” Fisher said. “It’s an attempt to bring false weaknesses into the classroom.”
Texan biologists and teachers fear that creationism and flawed, outdated views of Darwinian Theory will be included in textbooks as a result of the final education board vote, which is set to be in March. That possibility could impact textbooks throughout the country, as publishers would be hesitant to print a different version for Texas.
The state’s curriculum has for the past 20 years required students to analyze and critique the “strengths and weaknesses” of Darwin’s theories, a practice hardly enforced in schools. However, a group of teachers proposed revising the curriculum by replacing those words with the phrase “analyze and evaluate scientific explanations using empirical evidence."
Stephen C. Meyer, director at the Discovery Institute, defended the existing language, stressing the importance of "allowing students to hear about dissenting opinions."
Votes on Evolutionary theory in the Educational Board have lacked a conservative vote in the past; however, the 15 member Board, which currently seats seven social conservatives, may have a close vote this year.
“Textbooks today treat it as more than a theory, even though its evidence has been found to be stained with half-truths, deception and hoaxes,” said Paul Berry Lively, a Houston mechanical engineer and father. “Darwinian evolution is not a proven fact.”
Scientists argue that the suggested change in the curriculum is an effort to water down scientific theory and influence students to reject Darwinian Theory.
“Every single thing they are representing as a weakness is a misrepresentation of science,” David M. Hillis, biology professor at The University of Texas, said. “These are science skeptics. These are people with religious and political agendas.” Read the full story here.