Evolution must be included in public schools

Comment window for state education standards closes Thursday

The suggestions by Diane Douglas, Arizona superintendent of public instruction, to change the state science standards are baffling.

Douglas is proposing “to eliminate multiple reference to evolution entirely from existing high school science standards, replacing them with terms like ‘biological diversity’ and phrases like ‘how traits within populations change over time,’” Capitol Media Services reports.

“Where Douglas has left the term ‘evolution,’ she wants to add the words ‘theory of.’ And she also seeks to eliminate any reference to the ‘Big Bang’ theory of formation of the universe,” Capitol Media Services says. What? For Arizona to be competitive — to draw in new businesses, to grow our economy — our state must have a quality public education program, and that includes evolution.

In fact, there has been a push to boost STEM learning in school — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — for several years, especially in Yuma County. Science is essential to preparing students to be critical thinkers, to succeed in a world where science and technology play an ever-growing role.

Evolution is a critical part of scientific education, and is supported by a vast majority of scientists. The Pew Research Center says 98 percent of scientists connected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science say they believe humans evolved over time.

Pew also notes that “courts in recent decades have consistently rejected public school curricula that veer away from evolutionary theory,” specifically citing 1987’s Edwards v. Aguillard. That ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Louisiana law requiring students to learn both evolution and creation science was in violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on the establishment of religion, Pew reports.

Douglas’ suggestions don’t advance education. Instead, they would set our students back.

Science solves mystery through evidence, research and observation — and in the case of evolution, 98 percent of scientists agree that the answer is clear.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences sums it up: “Scientists and science educators have concluded that evolution should be taught in science classes because it is the only tested, comprehensive scientific explanation for the nature of the biological world today that is supported by overwhelming evidence and widely accepted by the scientific community.”

Arizona students deserve the best education possible, from arithmetic to writing and everything in between, including science.

Arizonans have a chance to weigh in on the issue. The comment period on the proposed science standards has been extended until noon May 31. Visit www.azed.gov to share your opinions with the state.