Kansas officially declared Education-Free Retard Zone
Republican member of Kansas Board of Education
Okay Vleeptron is CLOSED for the rest of Wednesday.
First the white phosophorus used against children, women, civilians by the U.S. military in its Fallujah offensive.
Now this.
All you people Overseas and Overtrees -- Vleeptron advises you to cancel your holiday to USA for a while. I hope it don't last much longer, but USA is just too fucking dumb and too fucking weird and too fucking dangerous.
I knew a Polish girl who did a year in an Oklahoma high school as an exchange student. She had a good time.
Kansas is right next to Oklahoma. Don't send your kid to get an education in Kansas. A year in high school is supposed to make you smarter, not dumber.
~ ~ ~
Wednesday 9 November 2005
The Times of London
Kansas schools take step
against evolution
By Sam Knight and agencies
Teachers in Kansas will have to spell out specific objections to Darwin's theory of evolution under a new set of teaching guidelines approved in the midwestern heartland state last night.
In a major success for proponents of "intelligent design" and other creationist theories of evolution, the Republican-dominated Kansas Board of Education ruled by six votes to four that, from 2008, teachers will have to give reasons why Darwinism is just one of many theories to explain the origins of life.
Until yesterday, Kansas had allowed teachers to take issue with the theory of evolution. Now they will be forced to do so, using an official list of perceived weaknesses in Darwin's theory.
Kansas has a history of defying evolution. Notoriously, in 1999, the state deleted most references to evolution in the science standards, a decision that was substantially reversed in 2001.
Critics of the new science standards say that that all the objections listed in them derive from "intelligent design" (known as "ID"), a theory that maintains that the life is irreducibly complex and must have been created by a higher power.
"All the arguments inserted in the standards are only found in the literature of intelligent design," said Jack Krebs, a high school maths teacher and vice president of Kansas Citizens for Science, which opposes the change. "Teaching the criticisms is teaching ID."
Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, said that the tactic used by the creationist lobby in Kansas -- to portray criticism of evolution as part of encouraging diversity of thought -- is likely to imitated in other parts of America. In August, President Bush endorsed teaching intelligent design alongside evolution.
"This action is likely to be the playbook for creationism for the next several years," said Mr Scott. "We can predict this fight happening elsewhere."
But supporters of the new regulations say they will lead to open discussions. "We are being very brave. We are brave enough to have all areas discussed," said Kathy Martin, a Republican member of the school board who voted for the change. "Students will be informed and not indoctrinated."
The Discovery Institute, a conservative think tank, said that the new science standards in Kansas will lead to a fuller understanding of evolution. "Under these standards students will learn more about evolution not less as some Darwinists have falsely claimed," said a spokesman for the institute.
Copyright 2005 Times Newspapers Ltd.
posted by Vleeptron Dude | 14:42
3 Comments:
Am I the only person leaving a comment here every now and then ?
I can't sleep and have nothing better to do right now so I went to the website of the Kansas Board of Education and found this:
Taken from the Science Education Standards approved by the Kansas State Board of Education on November 8, 2005
(downloadable document from their website)
***
Regarding the scientific theory of biological evolution, the curriculum standards call for students to learn about the best evidence for modern evolutionary theory, but also to learn about areas where scientists are raising scientific criticisms of the theory. These curriculum standards reflect the Board’s objective of: 1) to help students understand the full range of scientific views that exist on this topic, 2) to enhance critical thinking and the understanding of the scientific method by encouraging students to study different and opposing scientific evidence, and 3) to ensure that science education in our state is “secular, neutral, and non-ideological.”
From the testimony and submissions we have received, we are aware that the study and discussion of the origin and development of life may raise deep personal and philosophical questions for many people on all sides of the debate. But as interesting as these personal questions may be, the personal questions are not covered by these curriculum standards nor are they the basis for the Board’s actions in this area.
Evolution is accepted by many scientists but questioned by some. The Board has heard credible scientific testimony that indeed there are significant debates about the evidence for key aspects of chemical and biological evolutionary theory. All scientific theories should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered. We therefore think it is important and appropriate for students to know about these scientific debates and for the Science Curriculum Standards to include information about them. In choosing this approach to the science curriculum standards, we are encouraged by the similar approach taken by other states, whose new science standards incorporate scientific criticisms into the science curriculum that describes the scientific case for the theory of evolution.
We also emphasize that the Science Curriculum Standards do not include Intelligent Design, the scientific disagreement with the claim of many evolutionary biologists that the apparent design of living systems is an illusion. While the testimony presented at the science hearings included many advocates of Intelligent Design, these standards neither mandate nor prohibit teaching about this scientific disagreement.
***
Quite a few holes in that fence, eh ?
Wait, it's getting even better:
***
Teaching With Tolerance and Respect
Science studies natural phenomena by formulating explanations that can be tested against the natural world. Some scientific concepts and theories (e.g., blood transfusion, human sexuality, nervous system role in consciousness, cosmological and biological evolution, etc.) may differ from the teachings of a student’s religious community or their cultural beliefs. Compelling student belief is inconsistent with the goal of education. Nothing in science or in any other field of knowledge shall be taught dogmatically.
***
The only thing that I was not able to find this list of weaknesses in Darwin's Theory. I really would like to see that one for a good laugh. Long live the Flying Spaghetti Monster !
No, you are not the only person posting to Vleeptron. In fact you are no longer the only deutschespracher Vleeptron poster -- Vleeptron News Network now got a Mensch on the Ground im Berlin now!
Danke fur diese Kansas stuff. You do know that Kansas is verrrrrrrrrry far away from my Massachusetts, right? So anybody who wants to drop by my shack is in No Danger of Contamination by the Stupid Cootie Outbreak.
You will notify Vleeptron if some Swiss Canton does something really stoopid, won't you? That would make us Yanks feel much better, or at least move the spotlight somewhere else.
Also can you please climb an Alp with binoculars and look west and let us know what's going on in France?
Is Kansas run by Mullahs,now?Uwe
Post a Comment
<< Home