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In the beginning, Coyote created the sky and rabbits. . . .



How is it possible to have a good school system in which the teachers are not competent to teach the subjects, or where they refuse to?

Sixty percent of our public school biology teachers do not want to teach evolution, or are afraid to, according to a survey done at Penn State.  They did not want to confront parents hostile to evolution, and they admitted their own knowledge of science was inadequate.  That's right!  Our science teachers admit they do not know enough about science to teach it!

About one of every six science teachers in biology did not discuss evolution at all,  and a majority spent between one and five hours of class time on it!  Is there any wonder why our school system is falling behind in the world?

One out of every seven or eight science teachers thinks that religious theories of the origins of earth and matter should be taught, if not exclusively, then alongside of science.  That is a horrible admission that some of our science teachers do not even know the difference between science and religion!  They think religious beliefs are somehow, something, like scientific thinking!

That is like suggesting that medical schools should teach demon possession alongside internal medicine, or instead of it.  It would be like hearing that storks bring babies, that willow trees have evil hearts, or that cows jump over the moon.

Why should we pay public school teachers to teach science when they know almost nothing about it, or when they do not know the difference between science and religious myths?  When they think that creation stories are a viable alternative to scientific inquiry and knowledge?  Have we gone completely mad?

It is entirely of no consequence to me whether some people believe the earth was created 6,000 years ago, or whether Jesus or Joshua or Mary or Mohammad got into a chariot and floated off into the sky.  I don't care whether people believe God is going to come down from the sky next January, or last January, and establish a kingdom of pure believers.  I do not care much about tooth fairies, or the Easter bunny, or resurrection stories.

What is important is that we do not teach our children that those beliefs are science, or alternatives to science.  They are some people's beliefs, but they are not scientific facts, and they are not even viable alternatives to scientific facts.  There are people who do not understand what science has learned, and some people may choose not to accept what scientists know, but those people should not be paid by our public schools to teach science in our schools.  They should go to a seminary, or to a prayer meeting, but they should not teach science!

Personally, I am a mathematical ignoramus.  It would be a crime to ask me to teach high school math.  Probably for that reason, no one ever suggested that I teach high school math.  So maybe we have a chance.  Maybe we will find a way to find biology teachers who understand what science is, and is not.  

Comments

  1. Jane RundquistFebruary 3, 2011 at 8:36 AM

    This whole issue makes me CRAZY!!! I'm with you. Believe what you want, just don't call it science in any way shape or form.

    ReplyDelete

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