Schools skimping on study of evolution

Less than one percent of Israeli high school students learn Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, a new Ministry of Education study shows, according to Maariv. The overwhelming majority of the students eligible for matriculation certificate are only familiar with the biblical story of creation.

Due to the religious sensitivity of the issue, most biology teachers prefer to leave it outside the matriculation curriculum. The curriculum comprises a number of core subjects, and a number of optional topics, including the theory of evolution.

A ministry official told Maariv that some evolutionary notions, such as natural selection and adaptation, among others, are indeed part of the biology curriculum.

Yet critical voices within the ministry feel that a systematic study of Darwin’s theory is absolutely essential, and should be an essential part of every child’s course of study, rather than relegated to a footnote in a specialized syllabus, Maariv reported.