A threat to geoscience education: creationist anti-evolution activity in Canada

Geoscience Canada, Sept, 2006 by Jason R. Wiles

SUMMARY

The rejection of biological and geological evolution is a pervasive problem in science education. Recent events in the United States have brought anti-evolution activity to the forefront in media coverage of science education, but Canadians are often unaware that such creationist, anti-evolution activity is present in Canada as well. In this article, various foreign and Canadian-based anti-evolution efforts that threaten biology and geoscience education are discussed. These creationist organizations and their activities may adversely influence Canadian science curricula and public understanding of evolution and science in general.

SOMMAIRE

Je rejet de l'idee d'evolution biologique et geologique est un probleme genealise auquel est confronte l'enseignement des sciences. Recemment, aux Etats-Unis, certains evenements ont porte l'activisme anti-evolution a l'avant-scene de la couverture mediatique de l'enseignement des sciences, mais ici au Canada, il est frequent que les Canadiens ne soient pas conscients qu'un tel mouvement creationniste et anti-evolution existe. Le present article decrit divers mouvements creationnistes et anti-evolution, d'origine etrangere et canadienne, qul menace l'enseignement de la biologie et des sciences de la Terre. Les efforts de ces organisadons creationnistes peuvent avoir un effet prejudiciable sur le contenu des programmes d'enseignement des sciences et sur la comprehension du public de l'evolution et des sciences en general.

INTRODUCTION

In this article, the misconceptions found among Canadian scientific scholars as well as the general public that fundamentalist creationist activity or rejection of evolutionary theory stops at the US border, is addressed in some detail. Creationists and their supporters put pressure on schools and teachers in Canada. The Evolution Education Research Centre (EERC), often hears about these anti-evolution activities from teachers and concerned members of the community.

The EERC opened its doors at McGill University in 2001 with four McGill and four Harvard university professors, who have expertise in anthropology, biological evolution, educational psychology, geology, molecular biology, palaeontology, philosophy of science/ education, and science education. In addition, the Centre currently has a full-time manager, a small team of research assistants, and several prominent, international collaborators. The Centre receives modest financial support from the federal government and McGill University, as well as from private donations. Its mission is simple: to advance the teaching and learning of biological evolution through research. It is not an activist group. Its members often engage in outreach activities, and it does receive requests for assistance from students and teachers with regard to evolution education.

RECENT HISTORY

It seems that most Canadians dismiss the creationist opposition to evolution education in Kansas, as if we have moved beyond such issues in this country. However, most of them are unaware of just how little evolution is represented in Canadian curricula, and they are generally unaware of Canada's own controversies regarding evolution education. For example, few recall the embarrassment the Ontario Ministry of Education suffered in 2000, when headlines regarding their new curriculum read:

"Evolution nearly extinct in classroom: New science curriculum tries to avoid controversy" (Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 29, 2000)

"Ontario downplays evolution education" (Victoria Times-Colonist, Oct. 30, 2000)

"Ontario education is missing a link" (Sudbury Star, Nov. 1, 2000)

"There's a missing link in our schools" (Guelph Daily Mercury, Nov. 1, 2000)

"Evolution theory off-limits; Provincial curriculum shies from teaching topic to avoid controversy" (The Windsor Star, Oct. 30, 2000)

Stories similar to these ran in papers across Canada in late 2000, and perhaps one of the most interesting articles regarding the Ontario curriculum during that time was found in the Ottawa Citizen on November 9, 2000. Graham Hughes (2000) reported that, ironically, even though the bulk of resistance to evolution education is religiously motivated, one Ottawa clergyman was doing more than the framers of the Ontario curriculum to ensure that evolution was being taught. This article chronicled the efforts of Rev. Brian Kopke as he set up a weekend school at his church to teach the science he saw missing from the provincial curriculum. In the words of the Rev. Kopke, "I can't imagine kids going through the whole school system and coming out the other end without knowing anything about evolution." Hughes (2000) further states that, .. "there are so many kids out there who are going to be going into the sciences--and even the humanities--who need to have some idea of how all of this fits into a framework and how important science is to who we are".

In the United States, and in Canada, a dominant form of anti-evolutionism is "creation science". A form of what is usually called young-earth creationism, creation science holds that the earth, and the universe are about 6000 to 10,000 years old. It also accepts flood geology--the idea that Noah's flood was a historical worldwide event responsible for the fossil record and for major geological features like the Grand Canyon. Furthermore, taking the Genesis account literally, it insists that evolution is impossible except within a very limited range, for God created living things to reproduce "after their own kind". Most of the creationist organizations discussed in this article are creation science groups, but it is also important to realize that there is a diversity of opinion within these organizations. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that many Christians do not reject evolution; rather, they reconcile evolution and their religious beliefs.