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The Texas State Board of Education partially sided with scientists in the debate on whether evolution should be taught as a scientific theory with both strengths and weaknesses, as they agreed to drop a mandate that has been around for the last 20 years.
But that still doesn’t make it a complete victory for science, as the Board also took the time to vote some amendments to the Earth and Space Science, and Biology standards.
What this means is that even though students won’t be taught anymore based on strengths and weaknesses of the evolution theory, they will still be taught about inaccuracies in the way fossils reflect the idea of evolution from a common descent.
This of course got scientists unhappy once again. According to them, this amendment basically attacks the very backbone of evolution, and encourages students to give more credit to creationism.
National Center for Science Education (NSCE) representatives have expressed concern over the effects of these amendments.
This amendment inserts creationist catchphrases like ‘sudden appearance’ into the heart of the biology standards, and misrepresents the state of modern biology, according to Steve Newton, geologist and public information project director at NSCE.
Furthermore, John Rosenau, biologist and public information project director at NSCE, said that creationists have resorted to dumbing down the standards by inserting bogus attacks on evolution, and that Texas students – who have to compete in an increasingly technical global marketplace – deserve better than this misinformation.
The Board will make a final decision on the curriculum in March this year, plenty of time for these amendments to be revised and removed.
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