Notes

“WHEREAS, the purpose of K-12 education is to educate children in the facts of our world to better prepare them for their future and further education in their chosen field of study, and to that end children must know the difference between scientific fact and scientific theory,” – direct quote from Senate Bill number 235.

This is for Montana which seeks to ban all teachings that are not scientific “fact”

By their definitions of fact, this would exclude crucial scientific teachings like gravity and evolution

The line between theory and fact is blurred so the bill is able to make a definition that fits its ability to block certain teachings

This can block the growth of science by creating students with no updated knowledge of modern science

Analysis

For reference, this article was written on February 8th, so this is a very current issue. Fundamentalist religious movements are growing and penetrating the government. This article validates my audience as non-fundamentalist voters because, in situations such as this, only the voters can make a change. Unfortunately, society seems to be forgetting about the separation of Church and State. My favorite part of this article was the author’s take on how it will impact our students. It is bad enough that technical religious schools discourage certain scientific teachings, but if it spreads into all schools, you will be raising a generation of students who lack critical thinking ability. The scientific world will slow to improve its theories and discoveries if students are not kept up to date on current findings. In fact, I believe it is just as important to teach students what we don’t know as it is what we do.

Citation:

Dunhill, J. (2023). New Montana Bill Would Prevent Schools Teaching “Scientific Theories”. https://www.iflscience.com/new-montana-bill-would-prevent-schools-teaching-scientific-theories-67451