Board member Kathy Martin speaks in favor of new science standards while fellow board members Iris Van Meter and Kenneth Willard look on during a meeting of the Kansas Board of Education Tuesday, Nov. 8 2005. (AP)
Intelligent Design Approved in Kansas Story aired: Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Kansas has become the first state to allow teachers to teach specific criticism of Darwin's theory on the origin of life. The new standards will come into effect in 2007 and be used in tests for measuring how well schools teach science.
The standards redefine science and state that fossil records are not consistent with the theory of evolution. The actual decision about what is taught will be left up to local school boards, setting the stage for additional debates in the 304 school districts of Kansas.
Supporters of intelligent design, who believe life is so complex that a higher power must be involved, had been pushing for the change. Some supporters of evolution say that intelligent is religion in disguise and outside of proven science.
Guests:
Donnie Palmer, science teacher at Topeka West High School
Jack Krebs, science teacher and vice president of Kansas Citizens for Science
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