Thursday, June 12, 2008

Louisiana Legislators Nearly Unanimous for Teaching Critically on Evolution

A growing number of states are enacting "legislation … and policies that protect, encourage, and sometimes even require teachers to discuss the scientific evidence for and against Darwinian evolution."

UPDATE 5/30/13: Louisiana House Education Committee Keeps Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act

-- From "Academic Freedom Bill Advances in Louisiana" by Susan Jones, CNSNews.com Senior Editor 6/12/08

(CNSNews.com) - The Louisiana House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would protect those who teach both the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. The vote was 94-3.

"This bill promotes good science education by protecting the academic freedom of science teachers," said Dr. John West, vice president for public policy and legal affairs at Discovery Institute, which has designed sample legislation for the state lawmakers to consider.

According to the bill, at the request of a local school district, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education must "allow and assist teachers, principals, and other school administrators to create and foster an environment ... that promotes critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion of scientific theories being studied including, but not limited to, evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning."

The bill also allows school districts to permit teachers to "use supplemental textbooks and other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner," although the state board of education could veto those materials.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.