Removing Darwinian evolution from textbooks will lead to increased superstition, says experts

Experts have voiced their concern that the decision to remove Charles Darwins Theory of Evolution from 10thgrade textbooks may help propagate superstitious beliefs and irrational practices among children as they grow upThe Theory of Evolution proposed by the English naturalist explains that all living beings evolved through natural selection which favours inherited traits that improve an individuals ability to compete survive and reproduceThe National Council of Educational Research and Training NCERT recently decided to remove the Theory of Biological Evolution from the Class 10 curriculumThis move was met with opposition from over 1800 scientists science teachers and educators from renowned institutes such as Tata Institute of Fundamental Research TIFR Indian Institute of Science Education and Research IISER and Indian Institutes of Technology IITs who have written an open letter raising their concerns regarding the matterWe are concerned with the exclusion of the teaching of Darwinian evolution from the 10th standard curriculum as seen in the information the letter readsCalling the decision a travesty evolutionary biologists believe the theory is so fundamental and basic that one cannot understand any aspect of the natural sciences without calling forth the concepts of the Theory of EvolutionThe very existence of life in diverse forms ecological interactions within and between groups the relationship between living organisms and their immediate surroundings cant be explained without invoking evolution Amitabh Joshi Professor amp Chair Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Bengaluru told PTISir Peter Medawar the Nobel Prizewinning immunologist is famous for having said in his 1977 book The Life Science that for a biologist the alternative to thinking in evolutionary terms is not to think at all Joshi recalledUnlike anatomy or biochemistry which branch out of biology evolution is a perspective that renders sense to all factual information gleaned from biological research added L S Shashidhara Director National Centre for Biological Sciences NCBS Bengaluru and Professor Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research IISER PuneEvolutionary theory provides that logical framework for understanding biological diversity and dynamics and elevates them beyond just being a collection of interesting facts about species generally Shashidhara told PTIThe decision to remove the chapter on evolution will deprive students of a fundamental understanding of biology which is essential to their education as informed citizens he addedAlso read Satyapal Singh wants Darwins apestohuman theory be removed from text booksThe Theory of Evolution is as integral to biology as understanding how the human body functions and it should be included in the curriculum for all students before they specialise in different subjects in higher classesThe exclusion of the Theory of Evolution from the curriculum would be a travesty to the notion of a wellrounded secondary education said Joshi It would be unfair for the vast majority of students who choose to specialise outside of biology to be deprived of exposure to a concept that is immensely important to forming ones scientific worldview he explainedSudha Acharya Chairperson of the National Progressive Schools Conference NPSC and Principal of ITL School in Dwarka New Delhi said removing the theory from school textbooks would leave a significant gap in the childs educationAwareness of basic concepts across subjects is important for the child to develop and have life skills regardless of what the child chooses to specialise in Acharya told PTI Further leaving out these concepts in school curriculum compels the child or students to turn to coaching centres in turn giving these centres more power and strength she notedIn 2018 scientists had condemned the then Union Education Minister Satyapal Singhs demand to remove the Theory of Evolution from the school curriculumThe theory is vital in helping us understand our place in the biosphere our relationship with other human groups and species and the importance of diversity in humans and all other life forms said ShashidharaThe inclusion of Darwinian concepts in the curriculum is crucial for cultivating scientific temper which is mandated by our Constitution according to the expertsThe biologists expressed their concern that children would not be able to make their own judgments when they encounter things beyond their comprehensionFor instance how would they explain the extinction of dinosaurs the similarities between humans and other mammals and the chemical basis of life across various organisms from tiny bacteria to large banyan trees to humans elephants and whales Shashidhara saidDarwins theory of evolution showed that there was no need to resort to supernatural explanations to understand the diversity relatedness and adaptedness of life forms or human origins 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