LA Governor Signs Controversial Science Education Act
By Jennifer Pinkowski -- School Library Journal, 7/2/2008
More than two decades after the Supreme Court shot down a Louisiana law that mandated equal time in science classroom for biblical creationism and the scientific theory of evolution, the state’s governor Bobby Jindal has signed into law an act that allows teachers to offer “supplemental textbooks and other instructional materials” to state-mandated science textbooks.
The law has been widely criticized as an attempt to inject religious doctrine into the classroom under the red herring of academic freedom. Proponents of creationism and its ideological successor, intelligent design, are hailing the decision as a “victory.”
The Louisiana Science Education Act is intended to help students “understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner,” according to the law’s wording. One clause says the act “shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine.”
Yet the only scientific theories mentioned by name in the law are ones most under attack by religious conservatives—evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning. The conservative group, the Louisiana Family Forum, suggested the bill to Senator Ben Nevers (D-District 12), who introduced it to the state legislature.
“They believe that scientific data related to creationism should be discussed when dealing with Darwin’s theory,” Nevers told a local paper at the time. “This would allow the discussion of scientific facts.”
Science organizations across the nation have pointed out that unlike evolution, which has been verified by enormous amounts of data across multiple disciplines, there is no scientific data related to creationism or intelligent design.
Where school libraries may be drawn into the controversy is with those “supplemental materials.” The new law includes no standards or guidelines for their source, only that they can be provided or limited by local school boards.
How might school libraries play a role? “It is too early to know,” says Phyllis Heroy, chair of the legislation committee for the Louisiana Libraries Association. “The state has a textbook adoption process, but acquisition of supplemental materials is left to local school districts. I would expect that it will vary from district to district, based on district policies and procedures for selecting and purchasing classroom supplemental materials, a process generally guided by curriculum departments. ”
Heroy says the mission of school libraries to support the curriculum will continue to apply. “I expect most librarians will be waiting for information from state, district, or school based administrators about how the act will be implemented before making decisions.”
