Resolution on Science Literacy
Resolution on Science Education in Florida
Approved by Board resolution March 26 2006
Whereas free public education is a human right [1], and
Whereas the Humanists of Florida Association (HFA) is concerned with the quality of education provided to the young people in our state and
Whereas scientific literacy and critical thinking are essential skills to have in the modern age, and
Whereas HFA seeks to popularize science and its peaceful applications, and
Whereas there is a nationwide movement to introduce “Intelligent Design” (ID) into public classrooms or its variant “teaching the controversy,” and
Whereas HFA considers the Intelligent Design (ID) movement to be an attempt to teach a specific religious view in the public schools and
Whereas because the internal logic of ID is seriously flawed, the proposal to teach it to children would actually harm them academically since it would require them to not learn the basics of science, logic or critical thinking, and
Whereas the state of Florida will be revising it educational science standards in 2007 and
Whereas Florida’s state science standards received a “F” grade [2], and
Whereas county school boards are responsible for purchasing the science text books used in the county schools and
Whereas some science textbooks include information on Intelligent Design while others are simply poorly written, and
Whereas at least one county in Florida already includes “teaching the controversy” as part of its curricula guidelines,
Therefore the Humanists of Florida Association (HFA) resolves to work to improve the state science standards, to promote the adoption of quality instructional materials and to oppose the inclusion of religious curricula masquerading as science or any other attempt to degrade Florida’s educational standards.
[1] International Convention on the Rights of the Child – article 28 and 29, available online at http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm
[2] From the Thomas B Fordham Institute http://www.edexcellence.net/doc/05sci_FL.pdf.pdf
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