it merely allows public schools to teach non-scientific theories, such as creationism, in the classroom. Add to that this bill is constitutionally suspect, as it blurs the line between church and state and endangers religious freedom.
This bill has nothing to do with the claim to “protect teaching of scientific information,” but in actuality, it encourages teachers to emphasize the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution, inventing a false controversy to invite religious discussion into science classrooms.
Eight years after Americans United successfully challenged the Dover School District’s attempt to push creationism in public schools, lawmakers are at it again. State Representative Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland) is now seeking co-sponsors for a bill that would allow students to question evolutionary theory.
Bloom calls it a move to protect “academic freedom.” The Philadelphia Inquirer quotes Bloom as saying, “In the real world, outside of academia, scientific theory is up for all kinds of argument. I don’t think it’s right to exclude any particular kind of argument prima facie. If a student wants to discuss a criticism, he or she should be able to.”
Nothing on the Pennsylvania books forbids the sort of questioning that Bloom says he wants to protect. This isn’t a matter of academic freedom. It’s yet another attempt to force a right-wing religious agenda into public schools.
A Bad Idea By Design: Pa. Lawmakers Revive Creationism Push | Americans United
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