U.S.

Charles Darwin Wins Again

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 14, 2001 / 1:12 PM EST / CBS

Evolution was restored Wednesday as a central theory in Kansas' science curriculum, ending a debate that subjected the state to international ridicule over the teachings of the origins of man.

The State Board of Education voted 7-3 to approve new science standards to be used in developing tests that will be given to students later this spring. The tests will include questions on evolution, which will now be considered one of the unifying concepts in the state's science curriculum.

The new standards will replace ones adopted in August 1999, which omitted references to many evolutionary concepts. Those standards brought Kansas international attention and criticism from scientists and science groups who saw evolution's de-emphasis as a step back.

Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, says she's not surprised by Wednesday's decision.

"Kansas became a laughingstock, thanks to the 1999 school board vote," explains Scott, in an interview with CBS Radio News. "The newly-elected school board was chosen largely on the grounds that Kansans were embarrassed by the actions of the previous school board."

"I believe now that we have science standards that the rest of the world could look to," said board member Carol Rupe, who voted for the new standards.

In casting his opposition, Steve Abrams rejected depictions of the old standards as being crafted by religious conservatives. He argued repeatedly that evolution is a flawed theory and that he wasn't espousing any religious doctrine in questioning its teaching.

"What I do espouse is that this is not good science," Abrams said.

The board caused an uproar in 1999 when it voted 6-4 in favor of science standards that critics said stripped evolution from its accepted place at the center of biological studies. Gov. Bill Graves called the 1999 board's action "terrible, tragic, embarrassing."

The die for changing the standards was cast last fall when voters ousted two board members who voted for de-emphasizing evolution, including then-chairwoman Linda Holloway.

Evolution, a theory developed by Charles Darwin and others, holds that the Earth is billions of years old and that all life, including humans, evolved from simple forms through a process of natural selection, that is, survival of the fittest.

Some religious fundamentalists object to the teaching of evolution on the grounds that it contradicts the biblical account of creation.

Kansas is one of several states, including Arizona, Alabama, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas and Nebraska, where school boards have attempted to take evolution out of state science standards or to de-emphasize evolutionary concepts.