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CURRICULUM
Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSS) in suburban Indianapolis is
facing a legal challenge over the teaching of evolution. Alex P. Oren, who
heads a group whose mission is to stop "the influence of atheism and
immorality" in public schools, is seeking to force HSS to teach
alternative theories to evolution. Mr. Oren insists he is merely seeking
to include scientific arguments against evolution. "This is not science
versus religion," he says. "This is science versus science." A recent
Harris poll reports that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe human
beings were created directly by God. The survey also found that a majority
believes public schools should teach evolution, creationism, and
intelligent design. However, Karen Rogers, the science curriculum program
director for the Indiana Department of Education, believes that while
creationism and intelligent design have place in religious studies, they
have no place in the science classroom because they are "nonscientific"
explanations. Intelligent design, she notes, is not susceptible to
testing. Glenn Branch, deputy director for the National Center for Science
Education, says supporters of intelligent design should be producing
scientific papers that can be subjected to peer review, instead of relying
on publicity to make their case. Mr. Oren acknowledges that his challenge
to Hamilton Southeastern is motivated by his belief in the biblical
account of creation. He believes that for many children "the choice
between God or no God" begins in the classroom. When residents in Columbus
petitioned their school board over equal time with evolution three years
ago, the district created a new social studies class examining all
theories of human origins. The course's treatment of the issues seemed to
soothe the population to the point that, after two semesters, so few kids
were interested in the subject there weren't enough to fill a course section.
Indianapolis Star
By Robert King