South Carolina Bill
A bill (SB 1386) was introduced in the South Carolina Senate on May 15, 2008 by Senator Mike Fair to amend the state's education code to provide:
The State Board of Education, superintendents of public school districts, and public school administrators may not prohibit a teacher in a public school of this State from helping his students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and weaknesses of biological and chemical evolution in an objective manner. This act does not condone the promotion of religious or nonreligious doctrine, the promotion of discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or nonreligious beliefs, or the promotion of discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion. By no later than September 1, 2008, the State Department of Education shall notify district superintendents of the provisions of this act, and each superintendent shall then disseminate to all employees within his district a copy of the provisions of this act.The National Center for Science Education described the bill as "aimed at undermining the teaching of evolution".
Jim Foster, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, disputed the need for the bill:
Science teachers are already free to discuss science. So unless the intent is to introduce content that's not scientific, it's difficult to see why we need this.The bill died in committee when the South Carolina legislature adjourned on June 5, 2008.
Read more about this topic: Academic Freedom Bills
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