Title: The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
Headings: The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
It's 2017, and this is still an issue.
The Monkey Law
Evolution Alternatives
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Content: a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 98 percent of scientists believe in evolution. Among the general public, one third of Americans reject evolution outright. Even more, over half of those who reject it say they don’t think scientists agree on evolution, and even among the general public — regardless of personal views on evolution — nearly 30 percent perceive a level of disagreement among scientists on the topic. These beliefs persist despite the statistics that indicate scientists do agree on evolution. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), while it recognizes the long history of controversy, does not condone the teaching of concurrent “alternatives” with the teaching of evolution, nor do they condone the misrepresentative teaching of evolution as being scientifically dubious. Still, a report from 2007 indicated that 1 in 8 public high school biology teachers presented creationism as being scientifically credible, and 6 in 10 were teaching evolution in a way that misrepresented its scientific soundness. The misrepresentation of any scientific concept, evolution included, does not adequately prepare students for post-secondary education, careers in STEM fields, or their lives in a world that’s being constantly innovated through scientific and technological advancements. In the NSTA’s view, “twisting and abusing core pedagogical principles, such as critical thinking and scientific inquiry, is another strategy designed to open science classroom doors to non-science.” Since the debate began, the “non-science” referred to here has been religion — specifically the teachings of the Bible. In the U.S., the majority of the pushback against evolution being taught in public schools has been driven by major Evangelical Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness, and Mormon churches.