Nebraska News
(2009-02-12)
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Catrina Whitley in her Biological Anthropology class
Bill Zeeble KERA reporter: Texas high school science instructors are currently required to teach the - quote -strengths and weaknesses of Darwin's theory, unquote. It's been that way 20 years. This was a compromise between some religious conservatives - who question evolution - and others, who embrace it. But now the State Board of Education might have a majority of votes to force the wording into science books. That means texts would acknowledge doubts about Darwin's theory that are often only raised by religious conservatives. Dan Quinn, with the Texas Freedom Network, says that would be bad news.
Dan Quinn, Texas Freedom Network: The idea that the science text books should include something mainstream science has debunked should be very worrying, we think, to parents and teachers. Because what you're essentially doing is giving kids then a 19th century education in their 21st century classrooms. You're teaching them pseudo science instead of real science.
Zeeble: Texas is so big, the nation's school book publishers often use this state's curriculum standards for the rest of the country. With those standards under review, there's a push on this issue from both sides. Jonathan Saenz, Legislative Affairs Director with the Free Market Foundation, says its time doubts about Darwin's theory end up in a book.
Saenz: Texas Freedom Network put together a study on this issue & one of their scientists from Texas A&M said, specific words, "all scientific theories have strengths and weaknesses." All we're doing is trying keep language that's been there 20 years. It's something that's worked for decades. It's something that text book publishers have been aware of and they know it's part of the requirement. So it's been sound policy. .
Zeeble: Saenz says eliminating discussion of any theory's strengths and weaknesses would damage the tenets of basic scientific inquiry. But scientists say those particular words are loaded.
Doctor Raymond Eve, Sociology Professor, UTArlington: They recognize the words 'strengths and weaknesses' but they recognize them as buzzwords.
Zeeble: That's University of Texas at Arlington Sociology professor Raymond Eve. He recently surveyed science teachers all across Texas on those words. He says those surveyed knew the phrase strengths and weaknesses' came from a faith based, anti-evolution movement. 98 percent of science teachers rejected the words.
Dr. Raymond Eve: But that two percent appeared to have never actually taught evolution, or certainly not to graduate students, not the mainstream faculty. So it looks like most dissenters actually had not taught evolution, were not regular faculty members, were probably something like part time adjunct faculty.
Zeeble: Eve says science teachers consider Darwin's theory strong & without significant weaknesses. UT Arlington assistant professor Catrina Whitley says if the strengths and weaknesses' term ends up in books, science will suffer.
Catrina Whitley: It would encourage teachers not to teach students the actual principles of evolution, to give them a good base. If they're going to become biologists, if they're going to become micro biologists, if they're going to become anthropologists , they've got to have a good foundation to be able to do their jobs.
Zeeble: In a preliminary vote, the Texas Board of Education rejected the words 'weaknesses and strengths.' But the final vote's in March. A single member could swing the other way. There's a lot of pressure from both sides, including from chair Don McLeroy. He firmly rejects Darwin's theory of evolution. The dentist believes the Earth and all her inhabitants appeared thousands, not millions or billions of years ago.
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