The science curriculum for Alabama public schools is getting a much needed facelift thanks to state officials deciding that both evolution and climate change should be taught to all students.

The unanimous vote decided last week by the state Board of Education was the first change to Alabama science standards in a decade, according to NPR, and is indicative of the state being behind in the times in more ways than one.

Take the state’s controversial evolution “warning stickers” for example, which have accompanied biology textbooks containing any mentioning of Darwinism since 1996. The stickers act as a glorified disclaimer, referring to evolution as a “controversial theory” and sometimes even mention creationism as an alternative. Even though the board’s decision shows a willingness to make this material more accessible to students, the state hasn’t made any substantial steps to banish the archaic stickers.

Some of the motivation behind the board’s decision could also stem from college educators, who claim that students who lack knowledge about scientific theories such as evolution are ill-prepared for college curriculums and arrive at a disadvantage compared to other students.

According to NPR, dozens of Alabama school teachers welcome the change in curriculum, including science teacher Ryan Reardon, who supports the new standards saying,

You might not accept it, but that doesn’t change the fact. Talking about evolution in a classroom is controversial, but there is no controversy about how all the organisms on the planet are related to each other.

Another controversial theory is that of climate change. Like the theory of evolution, climate change has also been adopted as fact within most circles of the scientific community, with a 97 percent consensus that humans are causing global warming. Despite this, several Republican presidential candidates including Ben Carson, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump have all publicly denied its existence. The Obama administration, on the other hand, considers climate change to be one of the biggest threats Americans face. Obama also recently took a highly publicized trip to Alaska, where he attempted to rally support for the issue by highlighting melting glaciers and rising sea levels.

Just because Alabama students will now be required to learn about both theories, it doesn’t mean they will be required to believe in them. Instead students will need to be able to show “detailed knowledge” of the subject matter and are encouraged to come to their own conclusions.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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