On the debate of teaching evolution, general question.

For example, in Texas.

When the debate rages on about evolution and science in the classroom, is it limited to just grade school and high school, or does it include college as well?

All I can contribute is that I once asked a colleague who teaches earth science at our college if she’s ever had problems with students arguing with her over the age of the earth (she tells them it’s 4.5 million years old).
She replied that this has not yet been an issue, and that she tells people they can believe whatever they want, but for the purposes of testing in her classroom, the correct answer is “4.5 million years.”

That’s all I’ve got.

I hope she actually said “Billion.”

Billions, not millions. I hope that that’s your own error in relating the tale, not hers in teaching the actual number.

In general, it is a debate at the level of primary and secondary schools, where there is a fixed curriculum which all or most students must take, and this curriculum is established by the state government or other local entities.

At the college level, students are mostly free to take classes as they want, subject to the degree requirements of their major. What is taught is determined at the level of the school, not generally at a wider level (except for the requirements from accreditation of the program).

:smack: She said “billions.”

The big issue concerns buying textbooks. The state buys textbooks for all the schools and the contents of the textbooks drives the controversy. You can’t teach Creationism if the textbooks don’t mention it.

Colleges use a separate set of textbooks. And some states allow local boards to buy textbooks so it isn’t a statewide issue or a force that would affect the textbook industry. That’s why Texas, such a huge unified market, is the center for the controversy.