Monday, January 26, 2009

Texas: How Some Parochial Schools Teach Evolution

The San Antonio Express-News has an article on how some parochial schools are handling the teaching of evolution. It is an object lesson for the Texas State School Board:

Teachers at two of San Antonio's better-known institutions said there is less friction over how they approach the delicate religion vs. science question.

Rob Friedrich, co-chairman of the science department at TMI — The Episcopal School of Texas, said it's not that hard.

“One of the wonderful things about TMI is we don't have any problem with teaching science in science classes and religion in religion classes,” said Friedrich, who is a member of the National Center for Science Education, which defends the teaching of evolution in public schools. The theory of evolution is “the cornerstone of teaching biology,” he said. Without it, it would be “like teaching chemistry without teaching atomic theory.”

But that doesn't mean there's no room for talking about intelligent design and creationism, which, Friedrich argues, are not scientific theories. If students have a genuine religious objection to evolution, Friedrich said he takes the time to talk it out. “I have no problem with that,” he said. “But I impress on them that it is a religious conflict, not a scientific conflict.”

Yes, it is. Refreshing news. Read the whole thing.

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