"Birmingham News"
02/09/01

Board OKs evolution statement
CHARLES J. DEAN
News staff writer

MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Board of Education on Thursday approved an
updated science curriculum that will teach students the theory of
evolution but will warn it's a controversial theory.

The warning is contained in the preface to the new curriculum. The board
approved it over the objections of a group of scientists and several
ministers who said the warning makes for bad science and diminishes an
otherwise strong curriculum.

The preface in part reads: "The theory of evolution by natural selection
is a controversial theory that is included in this document. It is
controversial because it states that natural selection provides the basis
for the modern scientific explanation for the diversity of living things.
Since natural selection has been observed to play a role in influencing
small changes in the population, it is assumed, based on the study of
artifacts, that it produces large changes, even though this has not been
directly observed."

Professor Curtis Bird, who teaches genetics, biology and evolution at
Auburn University, told the board the preface is wrong. "My position is
that natural selection is the only mechanisms by which new organisms
arrive and by which new organisms acquire new characteristics," Bird said.
He called on the board to allow children to be told the truth about
natural selection "so they can make wise decisions about their lives."

Retired Auburn professor and microbiologist Charles Rossi said the preface
hurts science. "I find it difficult to understand the necessity for a
position statement in the preface that tends to diminish science and makes
its conclusions appear to be unreliable and questionable," Rossi said.

The Rev. Dennis Hale, a retired Baptist minister, told the board evolution
is a fact. Hale said those who influenced the preface are well meaning,
but wrong. "They mistakenly apply scientific reasoning processes to
biblical stories of faith, stories written not by scientists but by people
of faith."

Board members said the updated curriculum will improve science education.
As for the preface, board members said it's one page out of over 100 pages
detailing what students should learn and it does no harm.

"I think sometimes what we get bogged down in is a controversy that has
been going on for years about people on one side who think we should teach
evolution without any questioning and people on the other side who think
we shouldn't teach evolution at all," said board member Bradley Byrne of
Mobile.

Byrne said evolution is clearly the dominant theory that best explains the
origin of life on Earth. But Byrne said he has no problem with the
preface. "I have no problem with a preface that says we should teach our
theories, certainly the most widely accepted theories, but at the same
time asks our children to question them and keep an open mind," he said.

Six years ago Alabama made national news when the board voted to includea
letter in biology textbooks that says evolution is "not a statement of
fact." Whether that statement remains in new textbooks or the preface is
substituted will not be decided until the end of the year.

The Birmingham News. Used with permission.