"Star-Bulletin" Honolulu Online Edition
Updated Thursday, August 2, 2001 - 11:54:50 PM HST
School board eliminates standard to teach
creationism
Professor says religious views of creation are not
science
By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin
[Tapa]
Multiple theories of origin such
as Bible-based creationism
won't be taught in public school
science classses alongside
evolution due to a state Board
of Education decision tonight.
The board voted unanimously to
deleted language from
performance standards for science
that were added in committee
-- language that would have opened
the door to the teaching of
creationism as another scientific
theory.
"The original science standards
will be intact," Board
Chairman Herbert Watanabe said.
The vote came after three hours
of testimony by those in favor
of evolution and creationsim.
"Religious views of creation is
not science and it can never
be," said Chris Measures, University
of Hawaii professor of
oceanography. "We do not teach
alchemy alongside chemistry nor
astrology alongside physics, neither
should we teach
creationism in the biology classroom."
The testimony came in a debate
over whether to include
language in the state science
performance standards to require
students to identify "multiple
theories of origin" as well as
the theory of evolution.
In an unusual move, Watanabe allowed
board member Denise
Matsumoto to address the crowd
before the start of the public
testimony.
"We appreciate your concerns, we
appreciate your interest,"
Watanabe told the crowd.
Matsumoto's Regular Education Committee
gave initial approval
to the science standards with
the "multiple theories of origin
language."
She said people have been "attacking"
her for the move. "The
committee never intended for creationism
to be taught and
neither did I."
But at last week's committee meeting,
Matsumoto offered
creationism as another theory.
Scientists led the charge against
creationism in the science
classroom.
Michael Garcia, a UH professor
of geology and president of the
Hawaii Academy of Science, testified
that his organization
supports well-established scientific
theories including the
evolution of life.
Hawaii State Teachers Association
President Karen Ginoza said
the evolution and creationism
should be taught in the public
schools but evolution -- and not
creationism -- should be
taught in the science classroom.
Creationism, when appropriate,
should be taught in connection
with literature, history and religion,
Ginoza said.
Sixty-five people testified, and
the board received more than
200 written comments.
Some in the standing-room-only
boardroom wore T-shirts with
the word "Darwin" -- as in Charles
Darwin whose theory of
evolution was being debated --
written within the outline of a
fish with feet on it.
Two people wore a shirt with an ape evolving into a man.
Robert A. Morgan called himself
a creationist and said: "I was
especially disturbed at the assertion
that evolution is based
on hard science while creation
is based on bad science and
whimsical faith. In reality, they
are both equally viable
theories of origin."
Several clergy also testified against
mixing religion and
science.
"As a pastor, I don't want your
teachers teaching my kids
about religion," the Rev. Mike
Young said.
"Creationsim and the flat Earth
is not good science, and it's
not very good theology," the Rev.
Sam Cox said.
Before the meeting, school board
member Carol Gabbard said she
would propose adding language
to the science standards as a
compromise, but did not offer
the proposal to the school
board.
Before the meeting, she said it
is proper to require a student
to analyze and explain "the evidence
which goes against or is
critical of the theories of molecular
evolution, natural
selection and biological evolution."
The Regular Education Committee
a week ago approved language
for proposed state science performance
language that would
require students to identify "multiple
theories of origin",
not just evolution. The word "creationism"
is not specifically
mentioned.
In another paragraph, a reference
to having students explain
the basic idea of "biological
evolution" was replaced with
students having to explain "the
basic idea of the multiple
theories of origin."
The changes were made after Matsumoto
complained that proposed
science standards presented Charles
Darwin's theory of
evolution natural selection as
fact rather than opinion.
The majority of board members earlier
in the week appeared to
be leaning toward voting down
the language change made in
committee.
The board two years ago approved
revised standards for
academic content, which set out
what a child should know.
Performance standards would gauge
how well the students learn
the subjects. Tests will be given
to see if the students are
meeting those standards.
The Hawaii Department of Education
received a grade of "A"
from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
in December for the
treatment of evolution in the
Hawaii Content and Performance
Standards.
The author of that report said
that if the "multiple theories
of origin" language had stayed
in, Hawaii could expect its
grade to diminish.
"It certainly will hurt," Lawrence
Lerner, professor emeritus
with the College of Natural Sciences
& Mathematics at
California State University at
Long Beach, said by telephone.
Lerner called evolution the central
organizing principle of
biology and he has seen language
like the kind before the
board being proposed by proponents
of creationism across the
country.
"It's really just an entree to
creationism nonsense," Lerner
said. "It stops students from
learning basic science and
biology."