Creationism Vs. Evolution

Schools in Idaho and Washington rated a B in a new report that grades how well they teach evolution.

But teaching creationism remains an issue in parts of Idaho.

After a U.S. Supreme Court ruling 13 years ago, states are no longer required to teach creationism.

But it’s still a contested issue in Idaho, where voters in May unseated an incumbent state Supreme Court justice for a trial judge who was a strong proponent of creationism. “I can prove scientifically that evolution has not and cannot occur,” Daniel Eismann said earlier this year.

Almost two years ago, the removal of creationism from Idaho’s high school exiting standards drew public criticism. So the Post Falls School Board, after months of debate, adopted a policy on teaching both creationism and evolution in its schools.

Teachers are called to be sensitive to students with different beliefs. They also must stress that creationism and evolution are theories and not facts.

But in most biology classes around Spokane, there’s little or no talk about God or divine creation.

Creationism is appropriate in a philosophy course or maybe a class on world religions, said Scott Stowell, coordinator of science and health for District 81.

But based on national and state standards, it shouldn’t be part of the science curriculum, he said.

“Evolution is based on scientific evidence,” Stowell said. “There are other interpretations of the origins of life and earth, but they’re not based on scientific evidence, which isn’t used to explain supernatural phenomena.”

Students in District 81 begin studying evolution in eighth-grade biology class. It’s later expanded upon in the 10th grade, and also in advanced courses during their junior and senior years.

The Central Valley School District starts teaching evolution in elementary school.

Teachers don’t always call it “evolution,” said assessment coordinator Geoff Praeger, but they start familiarizing their students with the concept of change. By studying fossil structures, for example, students at the elementary level learn about how humans and animals have evolved over time.

Later in middle school, Central Valley students are taught about how biological evolution accounts for species diversity and other similar topics. By high school, they’re familiar with the science of evolution and study it with more detail.

Creationism is rarely brought up in a science class, Stowell said. But if students have questions that go beyond the realm of science, they’re encouraged to discuss it with their parents or guardians, he said.