Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

September 2020 – A report released in June suggests that over the past 12 years, public schools have seen a significant increase in time devoted to teaching evolution. The study, titled “Teaching evolution in U.S. public schools: A continuing challenge,” was released by Evolution: Education and Outreach, a peer-reviewed journal that promotes the teaching of evolutionary theory.

According to the National Center for Science Education, the 2019 survey was designed to replicate a similar 2007 survey. Among the alarming findings, the report shows “a 60% increase in the mean number of class hours reported as devoted to human evolution,” as well as reporting a 25% increase in teaching evolutionary processes.

From 2007 to 2019, the number of high school biology teachers who believed the theory of evolution “is a fact,” while giving “no credence to creationism as science,” rose from 51% to 67%.

Additionally, the study found an increase in teachers who didn’t teach creationism or intelligent design at all, up from 75% in 2007 to 82% in 2019. Educators who reported “exclusively emphasizing creationism as a ‘valid scientific alternative,’” dropped from 8.6% in 2007 to 5.6% in 2019.

christianpost.com, 6/15/20