American teachers afraid to teach evolution

[BillHoyt]

"Based on the analysis of the 41 nations so far, U.S. eighth-graders rank slightly below the international average in math, and slightly above in science. While far from our national goal of placing first in the world in math and science (Singapore, Korea, Japan, the Czech Republic and Hungary outperformed the U.S. in both fields), the report finds the U.S. "on a par with other major industrialized nations like Canada, England, and Germany." The U.S. is also one of only 11 countries with no significant eighth-grade gender gap in either discipline"

http://www.sdsc.edu/SDSCwire/v2.24/educaton_goals.html

"Results from the TIMSS-R showed that American eighth graders ranked 19th out of 38 countries in math and 18th in science (in 1999). The findings were disappointing to some education officials, who had hoped to see improvement after American fourth graders ranked high in the initial study four years ago. The 1995 TIMSS report also included eighth and 12th graders."

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr305.shtml

(Colored addition mine.)

"A study of practical math skills released last week found that U.S. 10th-graders placed 24th out of 29 nations."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-12-14-student-scores_x.htm

Read the full article here, BTW. It mostly glows about U.S. educational improvements. It is little wonder that this highly disappointing measure of 10-graders was granted a mere single-line paragraph.

 

[Art Vandelay]

You would think so, but you would be wrong.

The word in the original Hebrew passages is the verb "yada" [to know]. In the Greek, the word "ginosko" [to know] is used. In modern French, the verb "savoir" [to know] is still used with this meaning -- normally, when one "knows" a person, the verb "connaitre" [to be acquanted with] is used instead.

The translators of the KJV simply used the English equivalent of the actual Hebrew and Greek phrasing.

If the word "yada" refers to sex, then it's not exactly equivalent to "know", is it?

 

[Morchella]

I remember a high school biology teacher that I used to date that taught in Paradise Ca. She told me once about fifteen years ago that "We don't teach evolution in Paradise".
She was terrified that she would lose her job and as a single mother of two, would not be able to support her kids.

 

[Hamradioguy]

I guess I was lucky. I went to a public high school in Penna. In the late 1950s in biology class when we got to the part of the textbook covering evolution the teacher told us in no uncertain terms that evolution was an accepted scientific principle. He also said that if anyone had religious objections to studying evolution they would be excused if they brought a note to that effect from their parents. There were no excused students and the class was great (Thank you Mr. Zicardi!).
The only flap I remember around that time was in a high school assembly when we saw a film about Martin Luther. Again we were advised (by the school principal this time) that anyone with religious objections would be excused from viewing the film. No one left, but that Sunday the Priest from the local Catholic church raised a huge fuss in his sermon about the school showing a film about "that man Luther". Ah, those were the days....

 

[BillHoyt]

I remember a high school biology teacher that I used to date that taught in Paradise Ca.

Wow, you used to date your high school biology teacher? Those must have been excellent lab practicums.



(Sorry, just had to....)

 

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

In what kind of world the biology is what the religion says and not what the biology knows? Oh yes, in this one. To believe is a lot more important than to think.

Shame, shame shame

 

[cbish]

I remember a high school biology teacher that I used to date that taught in Paradise Ca. She told me once about fifteen years ago that "We don't teach evolution in Paradise".

Well, there's lots of things about Paradise CA that we don't talk about!

 

[drkitten]

If the word "yada" refers to sex, then it's not exactly equivalent to "know", is it?

It refers to sex in the Bible. In other writings, it's used for "knowledge." Sounds exactly equivalent to me.

Feel free to learn some Hebrew for yourself.