By Leo Igwe
THE month of February is quite special in the history of science.
In fact, February qualifies to be called science history month. February 12 is the birthday of late British scientist, Charles Darwin.
On this date or around it, a global celebration of science and reason is staged. It is called the International Darwin Day.
According to the initiators of this very important festival, the goal is to ‘recognise the achievements of humanity as represented in the acquisition of verifiable scientific knowledge.’
Modern cultures, which rely so heavily on scientific knowledge, which was developed solely on the basis of human curiosity and ingenuity, had not developed a tradition by which to show appreciation for this phenomenal knowledge system which is largely responsible for providing all of us with the standard of health and prosperity that we enjoy today.
So ‘the Darwin Day celebration was seen as an authentic way to show appreciation to all those, both past and present, who have contributed to the scientific enterprise.’
The history of Darwin Day has constantly been growing over the past years from a few hundred participants that met to mark it some years ago to thousands that now gather in different parts of the world to honour Darwin and his contributions to human knowledge and endeavour.
But, certainly, not many people across the world celebrate this man whose thesis on the ‘Origin of Species’, changed the way we humans think about ultimate questions concerning our origin and place in nature.
Darwin’s discoveries shook the foundations of religions, especially the doctrine of creation.
According to Darwin, human beings were not created as the holy books clearly stated. Instead, we are products of evolution that has been going on for millions of years. Literally, Darwin’s writing proved the Christian book of Genesis to be what it is, a book of myth and fantasy, not reality.
While this important discovery by Darwin has been there for a while, it has been difficult to get it into classrooms and get our children to learn in science classes about this fact of nature.
Many faith groups want evolution excluded from school curriculum. Or they want both evolution and creationism to be taught in science classes.
They claim that evolution is an inconclusive and controversial ‘theory’ and that children should be taught all sides of the argument or accounts for human origin. That definitely sounds like a valid argument, right?
But it is not. Evolution, not creationism should be thought in our science classes.
Evolution is science but creationism is religion. So, creationism or its synonym, intelligent design, has no place in our science classes.
Teaching creationism or intelligent design in a science class is like teaching faith healing in a medical college or teaching students how to speak in ‘tongues’ as part of a foreign language class.
It is nonsense. Those who want to teach creationism in science classes should also campaign to have the myth of resurrection and ascension be taught in a physics class as part of the lectures of gravity.
In the U.S. and UK, believers have been trying with limited success to get schools to teach creationism in science classes.
Recently, the British government decided not to fund schools that teach creationism or are run by creationist groups.
The Department of Education issued a new revision of the model funding agreement for Free Schools in order to preclude ‘the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations.’
The Nigerian government should emulate this enlightened approach to education and learning and encourage science education, particularly the teaching of evolution, in our schools.
The government should not allow religious fundamentalists to undermine or corrupt the teaching of science in schools.
Sadly, in Nigeria, there is apparently no debate going on. It is difficult to know what the state of science education is in our different states.
There is no way to monitor or ascertain the way evolution is taught (if at all) in our science classes.
There is a general lack of interest in science education. Science subjects and topics are poorly taught and delivered.
With most private schools in the hands of religious organizations and most state schools managed by theocrats, there is no doubt as to what would be the situation as regards the teaching of evolution in schools.
In the biology text books used in secondary schools, the topic of evolution is the last or among the last to be taught.
And the topic is explained in a page or two. So most Nigerian students either do not learn the topic or they graduate from schools knowing very little about this pillar of human biology.
