Louisiana Schools Teaching Creationism Vs Evolution

[Drakkith]

Apparently a few schools in Louisiana, which are private but have state funding, are teaching Creationism vs Evolution as competing theories. http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/here-is-what-louisiana-schoolchildren-learn-about

The article has a link to another one that explains that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education doesn't even look at what they teach to decide if they meet "standards", but only HOW they teach. http://www.theadvertiser.com/proart/20121119/news01/121119011/louisiana-may-skip-private-school-certification-rule-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|&pagerestricted=1

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Under Louisiana's Constitution, any nonpublic school getting state money must be certified as providing a curriculum or specialized course of study at least equal to those required for similar public schools.

"We don't look at the quality of the curriculum," said James Garvey of Metairie, who co-chairs the board's School Innovation and Turnaround Committee.

"We don't look at what they teach," he said. "We look at the system. We look at policies and procedures, not what they teach. It's how they teach and not what they teach."

I didn't see a link to anything naming which particular schools, so if anyone sees one or knows how to find them, let me know.

This whole thing seems...abhorrent...

Edit: Mistyped Louisiana in the title. Any chance someone could change it?

 

[Evo]

"It's not what they teach". This is so wrong. SO WRONG.

Yes, Louisiana is probably the worst state for education in the entire US. That is a huge flaw in our system, allowing states to decide on education. Education should be Federally governed so that all children have the same chance at getting a normal education. Children shouldn't be deprived because they live in a backwards state.

 

[Drakkith]

Yes, but like practically everything, it's always Freedom vs Something else. Freedom for people to choose what their children are taught in this case I suppose. I disagree with the schools and the board, and I think it's wrong, not just because it's religious and in a school supported by the state, but also because it tries to support something as being science-like that isn't and knocks real knowledge down a notch due to complete misunderstanding of what a theory is and how much overwhelming evidence we have for evolution.

 

[Evo]

Yes, but like practically everything, it's always Freedom vs Something else. Freedom for people to choose what their children are taught in this case I suppose. I disagree with the schools and the board, and I think it's wrong, not just because it's religious and in a school supported by the state, but also because it tries to support something as being science-like that isn't and knocks real knowledge down a notch due to complete misunderstanding of what a theory is and how much overwhelming evidence we have for evolution.

I believe that education is one thing that should be regulated. All children should be given an equally good education, free of superstition and fear.

If parents want to brainwash their children, they can do it outside of school. I think that refusing to give your children a realistic education should be treated as child abuse.

 

[Drakkith]

I believe that education is one thing that should be regulated. All children should be given an equally good education, free of superstition and fear.

If parents want to brainwash their children, they can do it outside of school. I think that refusing to give your children a realistic education should be treated as child abuse.

Yep. Agreed.

 

[turbo]

And it's not just our own children. All the children that are taught in our state (Maine takes 1/2 of our property taxes for education) should be given a proper education. If their parents want to to deride this education as lies, they can do it on their own time.

 

[Containment]

I volunteer Turbo to move and become the new science teacher of a private school in Louisiana. Have fun in your new home turbo :)

 

[leroyjenkens]

This has nothing to do with teaching creationism vs evolution as competing theories. Teaching creationism would involve teaching various creation stories, such as Prometheus and his brother making humans out of clay. That's obviously not going to be taught as a competing theory. This is about teaching Christianity as the truth. And anyone who actually presents creationism (Christianity) vs evolution as competing theories is going to have an agenda.

 

[Ibix]

"It's not what they teach". This is so wrong. SO WRONG.

Even if you accept that statement as right, teaching creationism as equivalent to science (regardless of whether or not creationism as true) requires a lot of compromises with the truth. How can that kind of an attitude in a teacher not be a part of 'how they teach'?

 

[nitsuj]

This has nothing to do with teaching creationism vs evolution as competing theories. Teaching creationism would involve teaching various creation stories, such as Prometheus and his brother making humans out of clay. That's obviously not going to be taught as a competing theory. This is about teaching Christianity as the truth. And anyone who actually presents creationism (Christianity) vs evolution as competing theories is going to have an agenda.

Very well said!

I put my money on it being about money.

 

[turbo]

I volunteer Turbo to move and become the new science teacher of a private school in Louisiana. Have fun in your new home turbo :)

No thanks. Been there and hated it. The deep south is not for me.

 

[cobalt124]

All of this makes me feel so fortunate I received the education I did, where the emphasis was on learning. Period. Not abusing children to push an agenda, not to make governments look good, not to churn out "cogs" for industry. The nearest was when teachers would "push" their individual political outlook on a class, but we had teachers of all persuasions doing it so it was balanced, and anyway it was probably just done so we could learn the different viewpoints anyway.