South Carolina About to Ban Evolution (Again); New Buzzterm Emerges!

So, in order to sidestep all the "Intelligent Design" and "Creationism" defeats, South Carolina is trying to pass an amendment to their state constitution that will only allow Evolution to be taught alongside something they are calling "Critical Analysis" or "Critical Thinking." Sigh...

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Philosophers dissected the age-old dispute over teaching evolution in biology classrooms Monday as lawmakers prepared to debate its latest manifestation at the Statehouse.

A House committee will consider Tuesday an amendment that establishes how textbooks, software and other instructional materials are selected to require they “critically analyze” the subject matter.

It is the latest tactic by conservative lawmakers who want students to learn about problems in the theory of evolution.

“I feel like we’ve got textbooks out there that are not appropriate,” said Rep. Bob Walker, R-Landrum. As a member of the Education Oversight Committee, Walker has led an effort to convince the state Board of Education to change wording in the evolution curriculum.

Biologists, who say an understanding evolution is crucial to learning how organisms became what they are today, say “critical analysis,” as proposed by Walker and others, is a backdoor way to inserting intelligent design into the curriculum. Intelligent design is the theory that life is so complex that there must have been a designer, namely God.

The evolution debate is likely to continue on at least two other fronts after Tuesday’s meeting. A one-year provision in the Senate’s version of the budget, which is set to be debated in a House-Senate committee, calls for all instructional materials to include “critical thinking.” Also, the academic standards panel of the Education Oversight Committee, rebuffed by the Education Department in its latest effort to adjust the biology curriculum, is meeting next Monday. It is set to discuss how to resolve the impasse between the two agencies, which must agree on new standards.

[Via Dvorak Uncensored]