In the face of America’s slumping education performance in Science (currently ranked 23rd in the world), US educators have been trying to adopt new science education standards. But the state-by-state adoption of the science standards has been slow, held up by anti-science sentiments in state legislatures that do not agree with teaching evolution or climate change.
In Wyoming the climate contrarians succeeded in blocking the teaching of accepted science.
Now New Jersey is the latest state to debate the adoption of the new curriculum. Stunningly enough this is not a sure thing in this state, despite it being home to Edison and Bell Labs (birthplace of the transistor and the radio telescope), incubator of many Nobel prizes and host to most major pharmaceutical companies, and of course several fine universities including Rutgers and Princeton (Nash’s and Einstein’s alma mater).
According to "Education Week," an American education news site, "External political influence that has an issue with human-induced climate change or evolution," may yet prevent New Jersey’s adoption of the new science standards.
In response, "Climate Parents" has launched a campaign to petition the New Jersey State Board of Education. "Loud fringe groups have gone to war against our children’s right to learn about climate change." said John Friedrich of Climate Parents. "They’ve launched coordinated attacks in each state that has considered adopting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a set of K-12 education standards meant to ensure that kids learn 21st century science, including climate science."
Edison, Nash, Einstein, et al must all be spinning in their graves.
Posted by howardlee on Tuesday, 8 July, 2014
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