Should Schools be Required to Teach Evolution?

[Notedstrangeperson]

I wasn't quite sure how to word this question. I was originally going to call it "Is refusing to teach children evolution child abuse?" but that sounded a little over-dramatic.

I also wondered whether the trouble lies with teaching them creationism, rather than not teaching them evolution.

Should teaching evolution be limited to schools? Are parents required to teach their children about evolution too?

 

[hedrick]

I believe both issues are relevant. If evolution is a significant part of biology, then it's important to teach it. Not teaching it would be is a problem even if you also don't create creationism. However it's also important not to teach pseudo-science as science. Teaching about creationism as religion is fine. Kids in the US should know about it. You don't even have to make fun of it. Just don't teach it in science class.

Child abuse is overly dramatically.

 

[Glas Ridire]

If a school is to teach either, it should be only presented in whatever segments they do on mythology. I don't intend to argue for or against either, I have my own beliefs . . . but in the context of public school education, "How the world began" is a religious discussion & doesn't have a place outside units on Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Etc . . .. creation myths. I don't believe I should be able to force other people's children to learn about the creation myth I believe in, and I don't think people with other favorite creation myths should be able to impose them on my children. It doesn't make sense, the people who scream and holler for separation of church and State when someone else wants a different myth presented and turn around and demand theirs in the curriculum.

But I am the same guy who says both sides are wrong on gay marriage. . . . civil unions should be civil, marriage should be up to what ever denomination/ religion or lack thereof one believes in. Actual separation of church and State, instead of separation of churches I disagree with and State. Let atheists teach their kids evolution, let fundamentalist teach creationism. . . . at the end of the day, none of us were there, it doesn't change the truth of what is around us and forcing ideology through manipulating school curriculum is dirty and low regardless of how true or how sure one is right, one may be.

 

[morningstar2651]

I wasn't quite sure how to word this question. I was originally going to call it "Is refusing to teach children evolution child abuse?" but that sounded a little over-dramatic.

I also wondered whether the trouble lies with teaching them creationism, rather than not teaching them evolution.

Should teaching evolution be limited to schools? Are parents required to teach their children about evolution too?

The teaching of evolution should be mandatory part of any biology class - it's a very important part of biology.

Creationism has no place in a science class. It belongs in Sunday School, or a religious studies class.

 

[Ryal Kane]

If they're teaching biology then they should be teaching evolution. It's science.

We don't teach classical air/fire/water/earth as being elements alongside the periodic table. We don't teach electromaginisism alongside Zeus throwing thunderbolts. If creationism wants to be covered in religious studies, fine, but it's not science.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Biology makes a lot more sense if you understand evolution. It's the single unifying theory of biology and the most important pillar holding up our modern understanding of life. So yeah. It should be taught. Saying otherwise is akin to arguing that we shouldn't teach atomic theory in chemistry.

And obviously creationism is only fit to teach in a literature or history class.

 

[AceHero]

Should teaching evolution be limited to schools? Are parents required to teach their children about evolution too?

I don't think parents should be required to teach evolution, since hopefully the school is doing that. If parents teach their kids evolution, that's fine, but one needs to be careful when it comes to creationism. Christian parents should certainly tell their children that God created the universe (basically, that evolution "isn't the end of the story") but shouldn't be using clearly discredited pseudoscience to make the Bible some sort of alternate science text. It's not.

 

[morningstar2651]

I don't think parents should be required to teach evolution, since hopefully the school is doing that. If parents teach their kids evolution, that's fine, but one needs to be careful when it comes to creationism. Christian parents should certainly tell their children that God created the universe (basically, that evolution "isn't the end of the story") but shouldn't be using clearly discredited pseudoscience to make the Bible some sort of alternate science text. It's not.

I'm not okay with parents being required to teach their children evolution either. I'm equally not okay with parents being required to teach their children linear algebra, discrete mathematics, English literature, or organic chemistry. Leave education to the educators and parenting to the parents.

 

[Shemjaza]

I couldn't really answer that. I think children _should_ be taught about evolution because it's an important part of science. But I also believe people should have the freedom to send their children to weird schools who teach children about creationism.

 

[ebia]

Teaching about creationism as religion is fine. Kids in the US should know about it. You don't even have to make fun of it.

That might be hard.

 

[ebia]

I wasn't quite sure how to word this question. I was originally going to call it "Is refusing to teach children evolution child abuse?" but that sounded a little over-dramatic.

I also wondered whether the trouble lies with teaching them creationism, rather than not teaching them evolution.

Should teaching evolution be limited to schools? Are parents required to teach their children about evolution too?

Evolution is foundational to a lot of biological and applied science. Yes, it needs to be taught.

I would talk about "creationism" in RE - to explain why it's bad theology.

 

[AceHero]

Biology makes a lot more sense if you understand evolution. It's the single unifying theory of biology and the most important pillar holding up our modern understanding of life. So yeah. It should be taught. Saying otherwise is akin to arguing that we shouldn't teach atomic theory in chemistry.

And obviously creationism is only fit to teach in a literature or history class.

In one of my theology classes in college one day we talked about the different theories about creation from a Christian standpoint and did talk about theistic evolution, though conservatives tend to disregard that as false.

So we can talk a little about science in a theology class, but the reverse isn't true: there is really no room for theology in a science class.

 

[Mystman]

I wasn't quite sure how to word this question. I was originally going to call it "Is refusing to teach children evolution child abuse?" but that sounded a little over-dramatic.

Understanding evolution is an important part of a well-rounded education, but it's not an essential skill like reading, writing, logic, or basic maths. A child who never learned how to read will have a significant handicap later in life. A child who never learned about evolution could just go to wikipedia.

So it depends on how your school system is structured. If the government sets the curriculum, it should include evolution. If the government tells schools "do your thing; as long as the kids learn the essential skills we don't care", then it's up to the schools, and up to the parents to decide which school they want their kids in.

edit:
you can approach education from two angles: what's best for the child, and what's best for society. A child who is raised as a creationists will probably be just as happy in life as a child who is raised as an evolutionist. But a generation of kids who are raised as creationists (with the accompanying attitude towards "facts" and "science" and "logic") will probably be much less useful to a society than a generation of kids who are raised as evolutionists (or with a proper scientific mindset - you can believe in evolution for bad reasons ("it says so in this book!") or for good reasons). If the percentage of kids lost due to non-scientific thinking becomes too large, government could step in.

 

[Gadarene]

I would rather they did learn it, but I'd rather they didn't learn it than be taught creationism.

 

[quatona]

What´s there to teach about creationism, anyway? Won´t take more than 2 minutes.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Understanding evolution is an important part of a well-rounded education, but it's not an essential skill like reading, writing, logic, or basic maths. A child who never learned how to read will have a significant handicap later in life. A child who never learned about evolution could just go to wikipedia.

No one is arguing that 1st graders should necessarily be taught evolution. But as you enter the more difficult sciences in middle and high school, evolution is extremely vital for properly understanding biology.

 

[Mystman]

No one is arguing that 1st graders should necessarily be taught evolution. But as you enter the more difficult sciences in middle and high school, evolution is extremely vital for properly understanding biology.

Most people don't need to properly understand biology. They need to know some of the basics on the functioning of the human body, and that's about it. I doubt if my mom could explain evolution in simple terms, but that is no way influencing her life.

Would it make her life richer if she did have a good grasp of evolution and how it affects the world around her? Possibly. I might say yes. But the government making that decision for her and forcing her to learn it (eh.. forcing her to learn it in the past) is unnecessary. I dislike one-size-fits-all education. Some high school educations should include a good grounding in all the sciences (including biology). Others should be aimed at practical knowledge and skills.

 

[Gadarene]

What´s there to teach about creationism, anyway? Won´t take more than 2 minutes.

If you say "Goddidit" reeeeeeeeeealllllllyyyyyy slllllllowwwwwwlyyyyyyy

 

[Paradoxum]

Only evolution should be taught in science. Creationism, ID, theistic evolution, etc, can be taught in a religion class.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Most people don't need to properly understand biology. They need to know some of the basics on the functioning of the human body, and that's about it. I doubt if my mom could explain evolution in simple terms, but that is no way influencing her life.

Would it make her life richer if she did have a good grasp of evolution and how it affects the world around her? Possibly. I might say yes. But the government making that decision for her and forcing her to learn it (eh.. forcing her to learn it in the past) is unnecessary. I dislike one-size-fits-all education. Some high school educations should include a good grounding in all the sciences (including biology). Others should be aimed at practical knowledge and skills.

I don't get what you're trying to say here. Do you think that people shouldn't receive a basic, comprehensive curriculum in high school intended to teach the basics of science? Evolution is part of the basics of science.

Do you think the purpose of high school is not to educate, but rather to prepare someone for a job?