Kansas today became the fifth state in the nation to adopt science standards that encourage students to learn both the strengths and weaknesses of Darwinian evolution.

“This is a big victory for the students of Kansas, providing them with full-disclosure of the scientific debate about Darwinism going on between scientists and in the scientific literature, so we’re very pleased” said Casey Luskin, program officer for public policy and legal affairs with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture.

The science standards adopted in Kansas emphasize that they do not include teaching of intelligent design. Instead they require students to learn the scientific evidence for and against Darwinian evolution. Discovery Institute strongly believes that schools should require only that the scientific evidence for and against neo-Darwinism be taught, while not infringing on the academic freedom of teachers to present appropriate information about intelligent design if they choose.

“In every case Darwinists have tried to say there is no controversy and in every case they were wrong,” said Luskin. “Kansas now joins Ohio and three other states in recognizing that there is a legitimate scientific controversy and there are credible scientific criticisms of evolution.”

In 2002, Ohio became the first state to require students to learn about scientific evidence critical of neo-Darwinian theory, adopting a benchmark that says students should know “how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory.” Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Mexico have also adopted similar standards calling for critical analysis of the scientific evidence both for and against neo-Darwinian theory, as have individual school districts around the country.