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Another crazy one!Removing the word 'evolution' from classes

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:04 pm
by VEFF
The topic was 1 character too long, so I removed the space between the '!'
and 'R' to make it fit.

Anyway:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/striking.evolution.ap/index.html

They are still going to teach the concept of evolution, but without using the word 'evolution'!!!
How much sense does that make?

Better yet, here is a quote that basically says that they won't be required
to buy new books, and won't be forced not to use the word 'evolution':
Superintendent Kathy Cox said the concept of evolution would still be taught under the proposal, but the word would not be used. The proposal would not require schools to buy new textbooks omitting the word evolution and would not prevent teachers from using it.
How much sense does this make???!!!

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 3:20 pm
by Ian
Yeah, I can see how the theory of evolution might irk some of the die hard bible thumpers... but banning the word? Gimme a break. Kathy Cox obviously needs something else to do.

I love this quote:

"If you're teaching the concept without the word, what's the point?" said Rep. Bobby Franklin, a Republican. "It's stupid. It's like teaching gravity without using the word gravity."

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 5:02 pm
by JamieW
I'd really like her to come out with why she thought removing the word alone would be a good idea. I can't really fathom that she thought it was the word itself that bible thumpers found offensive.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:02 pm
by UALOneKPlus
dumbest idea I've heard in quite a while!!

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:25 pm
by CDRecorder
It doesn't make much sense to me, either, that they would remove the word but keep the concept. Why not call it what it is? Some people, myself included, disagree with some or all aspects of the theory of evolution, but I certainly don't see how removing the word "evolution" from schools is going to do anything.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:48 pm
by socheat
Personally, I think evolution is a theory covered in high school biology, and should remain, intact, taught in biology. Creationism is a theory (or fact, let's not get in to semantics :wink: ) of a specific religion, so should be taught in a places where that religion is practiced. Though, I wouldn't have minded my high school biology spending a day or two on Creationism. But then, what about the other world religions? I believe I saw a poll that said Muslim was the second (or third) biggest religion in the US.

Technically, the theory of evolution is probably more approriately found in Anthropology (and probably a few other sciences), but most of those subjects are taught in universities and not high schools. At that point, you can choose to take those courses or not...

I hope I didn't just start a flame thread... :oops:

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:04 pm
by NoSmartz
Yes you can choose to take that class in college and sure the topic is Anthropological but aren't we just skirting what the issue is really about?
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS and the Classroom!!!!!

E

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 1:01 am
by socheat
I didn't want to be the one to say it... :o As it is, my comment was the first to evoke an all caps response. :wink:

I can live with Creationism being discussed in high school because as the student, you don't have a great amount of (if any) control over what classes you take and what you learn. So I can understand why some people think the lower education system is being biased towards one theory.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 1:50 am
by CowboySlim
dumbest idea I've heard in quite a while!!


Yes, about 40 years, more or less. Back in the early '60s the Indiana State Legislature voted to make the value of Pi 3.0. It was the opinion of this highly educated body that the value of 3.1416.............. was too long and difficult for the students to remember.

Slim

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:49 am
by socheat
CowboySlim wrote:
dumbest idea I've heard in quite a while!!


Yes, about 40 years, more or less. Back in the early '60s the Indiana State Legislature voted to make the value of Pi 3.0. It was the opinion of this highly educated body that the value of 3.1416.............. was too long and difficult for the students to remember.

Slim


LOL! Did the universe rip apart at the seams? What is it with Indiana anyway? :wink: I found out a year or two ago that EST time is different from EST - Indiana, since they don't do daylights savings time.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:53 pm
by F1Pilot
Don't look at me. I just live here. :-?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:51 am
by Turkeyscore.com
Evolution should not be taught as fact IMO. It is a theory, just like the lightbulb=darksucker theory. It's probably gonna ruin my GPA this year cuz i plan on much debating with my Biology teacher....darwin warned against it being taught as fact too, he said that if there was reasonable doubt, throw it out... or something along those lines, I Think that there is more than reasonable doubt and it should be thrown out as a theory and taught like the Flat earth theory is.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 9:20 am
by jase
I Think that there is more than reasonable doubt and it should be thrown out as a theory and taught like the Flat earth theory is.


And replaced with what, creationism?

Yes, about 40 years, more or less. Back in the early '60s the Indiana State Legislature voted to make the value of Pi 3.0. It was the opinion of this highly educated body that the value of 3.1416.............. was too long and difficult for the students to remember.


Just as bad, in the 1970s some trendy left-wing councils in the UK decided it was a good idea to teach kids to spell phonetically in the infants classes (5-7), then to be taught correctly at 7 onwards; the theory being that it taught them to read and write easily and without confusion over stange spelling, then the correct spelling could be taught afterwards. What a stupid idea that was; we've ended up with a generation of illiterates who got hopelessly confused and to this day can't spell correctly.

I've seen a couple of schools' TV programmes where the number system has been changed, which I thought was bizarre as well. "Ten" became "One-ty" (I kid you not). "Twenty" was "Two-ty" and so on. Most bizarrely of all, "One Hundred" became "Tenty" (where the hell did this come from? One-ty-ty surely?!?!?!?!?!)

Oh, and in the "good old days" of the 40s and 50s PI in UK schools was taught as 22/7 as a short-hand, another highly dubious idea which, although more accurate than 3, was actually very damaging as my dad's generation genuinely think PI is exactly 22/7, which of course it isn't.

I really do think politicians should stop meddling with people's futures like this.