Wednesday, March 29, 2006

 

Massive Complacency

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There is an update in the Arkansas Times on Jason R. Wiles’ article concerning how teachers at a science education institution that serves several Arkansas public school districts were forbidden to use the "e-word" with the kids they were teaching. First of all, Wiles’ informant, a geology instructor called "Bob" to protect his identity, has now been revealed to be Tom Maringer. He voluntarily identified himself after quitting the Ozark Natural Science Center, a private, non-profit institution near Huntsville that he tried to protect by remaining anonymous. He left because the directors refused to change their policy against using the word "evolution" or teaching the true age of the Earth.

Maringer said he found a "massive amount of complacency" on the part of science teachers who brought their students to the center. Some said they taught evolution in spite of pressure not to, he said, but some said they didn’t have time to teach everything, so they left evolution out, or said they didn’t teach it because they didn’t know enough about it. One, he said, told him, "Our administrator told us it would be good for our careers if we just don’t talk about that."

While preparation of teachers to instruct in evolution may be an issue, Maringer thinks there is a a deliberate effort to stifle the teaching of evolution:

"The radical Christian right has basically been spurned at the court level time and time again," he said. "They’ve recruited church members to act one-on-one at the principal and individual teacher level. If they can’t get creation in, then they want evolution out.

"I personally find that chilling at a core level, the suppression of information."

He ain’t the only one.
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Link - Posted by John Pieret @ 9:56 PM
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