Turkish schools to stop teaching evolution, oficial says

[flamer84]

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Turkish schools to stop teaching evolution, official says


Board of education chairman says subject is debatable, controversial and too complicated for students



Kareem Shaheen and Gözde Hatunoğlu in Istanbul

Friday 23 June 2017 06.00 BSTLast modified on Friday 23 June 201707.04 BST

Evolution will no longer be taught in Turkish schools, a senior education official has said, in a move likely to raise the ire of the country’s secular opposition.

Alpaslan Durmuş, who chairs the board of education, said evolution was debatable, controversial and too complicated for students.

“We believe that these subjects are beyond their [students] comprehension,” said Durmuş in a video published on the education ministry’s website.

Durmuş said a chapter on evolution was being removed from ninth grade biology course books, and the subject postponed to the undergraduate period. Another change to the curriculum may reduce the amount of time that students spend studying the legacy of secularism.

Critics of the government believe public life is being increasingly stripped of the secular traditions instilled by the nation’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The secular opposition has long argued that the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pursuing a covert Islamist agenda contrary to the republic’s founding values. Education is a particularly contentious avenue, because of its potential in shaping future generations. Small-scale protests by parents in local schools have opposed the way religion is taught.

There is little acceptance of evolution as a concept among mainstream Muslim clerics in the Middle East, who believe it contradicts the story of creation in scripture, in which God breathed life into the first man, Adam, after shaping him from clay. Still, evolution is briefly taught in many high school biology courses in the region.

The final changes to the curriculum are likely to be announced next week after the Muslim Eid or Bayram festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The draft changes had been put forth for public consultation at the beginning of the year.

The subject of evolution in particular stirred debate earlier this year after Numan Kurtulmuş, the deputy prime minister,described the process as a theory that was both archaic and lacking sufficient evidence.

Reports in Turkish media in recent weeks, based on apparent leaks of school board meetings, have also predicted a diminished role in the curriculum for the study of Atatürk, and an increase in the hours devoted to studying religion. Durmuş said that a greater emphasis would be placed on the contributions of Muslim and Turkish scientists and history classes would move away from a “Euro-centric” approach.

The changes were based on a broad public consultation in which parents and the public played a key role, he said.

The Islamist-secularist debate is just one of a series of divides in a country that two months ago narrowly approved a referendum granting President Erdoğan broad new powers.

Many in the religiously conservative element of the president’s support base admire his piety and see his ascension as a defeat of the elite “White Turks” – a westernised elite that used to dominate the upper echelons of society and was accused of looking down with disdain on poorer, more religiously inclined citizens.

The secular opposition worries that the president and his party are reshaping Turkish society and clinging to neo-Ottoman ideals that see Turkey as the vanguard of a greater Islamic nation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ools-to-stop-teaching-evolution-official-says

 

[Jugger]

This was expected of Erdogans Turkey.
The collapse starts with education, as they can infuse the minds of the uneducated easily.
I predict that now the restrictions on girls education will Also begin.

“We believe that these subjects are beyond their [students] comprehension,”

This is beyond your scope Mr Minister, children can easily understand evolution.

Slowly but surely Turkey is saying good bye to secularism.

 

[TeesraIndiotHunter]

Lol, that's stupid.

Evolution's "dumb down" version is taught even in Pakistan. Although teachers prelude the lectures by saying "Evolution is bs. But still, we have to study the concept of it students"...

Islamic scholars discussed evolution in Plants and animals 600 years before darwin btw. Infact, Darwin was criticized for rehashing the old "mohammaden theory" when he first came up with evolution

 

[Jugger]

Islamic scholars discussed evolution in Plants and animals 600 years before darwin btw. Infact, Darwin was criticized for rehashing the old "mohammaden theory" when he first came up with evolution

is it true? Can you provide some links to backup your statement.

 

[blondeturkish]

we should have only imam hatip schools. which is one of the worst performing schools in the country. an akp official once said very clearly the educated don't vote for us. he is not wrong,

 

[Zibago]

Lol, that's stupid.

Evolution's "dumb down" version is taught even in Pakistan. Although teachers prelude the lectures by saying "Evolution is bs. But still, we have to study the concept of it students"...

Islamic scholars discussed evolution in Plants and animals 600 years before darwin btw. Infact, Darwin was criticized for rehashing the old "mohammaden theory" when he first came up with evolution

True we are taught Darwanism in 9th class the religious argument that follows is normally ignored

is it true? Can you provide some links to backup your statement.

Yes we are taught evolution we even had verses of Quran to justify evolution

 

[blondeturkish]

• 
  

Turkish schools to stop teaching evolution, official says


Board of education chairman says subject is debatable, controversial and too complicated for students



Kareem Shaheen and Gözde Hatunoğlu in Istanbul

Friday 23 June 2017 06.00 BSTLast modified on Friday 23 June 201707.04 BST

Evolution will no longer be taught in Turkish schools, a senior education official has said, in a move likely to raise the ire of the country’s secular opposition.

Alpaslan Durmuş, who chairs the board of education, said evolution was debatable, controversial and too complicated for students.

“We believe that these subjects are beyond their [students] comprehension,” said Durmuş in a video published on the education ministry’s website.

Durmuş said a chapter on evolution was being removed from ninth grade biology course books, and the subject postponed to the undergraduate period. Another change to the curriculum may reduce the amount of time that students spend studying the legacy of secularism.

Critics of the government believe public life is being increasingly stripped of the secular traditions instilled by the nation’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The secular opposition has long argued that the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pursuing a covert Islamist agenda contrary to the republic’s founding values. Education is a particularly contentious avenue, because of its potential in shaping future generations. Small-scale protests by parents in local schools have opposed the way religion is taught.

There is little acceptance of evolution as a concept among mainstream Muslim clerics in the Middle East, who believe it contradicts the story of creation in scripture, in which God breathed life into the first man, Adam, after shaping him from clay. Still, evolution is briefly taught in many high school biology courses in the region.

The final changes to the curriculum are likely to be announced next week after the Muslim Eid or Bayram festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The draft changes had been put forth for public consultation at the beginning of the year.

The subject of evolution in particular stirred debate earlier this year after Numan Kurtulmuş, the deputy prime minister,described the process as a theory that was both archaic and lacking sufficient evidence.

Reports in Turkish media in recent weeks, based on apparent leaks of school board meetings, have also predicted a diminished role in the curriculum for the study of Atatürk, and an increase in the hours devoted to studying religion. Durmuş said that a greater emphasis would be placed on the contributions of Muslim and Turkish scientists and history classes would move away from a “Euro-centric” approach.

The changes were based on a broad public consultation in which parents and the public played a key role, he said.

The Islamist-secularist debate is just one of a series of divides in a country that two months ago narrowly approved a referendum granting President Erdoğan broad new powers.

Many in the religiously conservative element of the president’s support base admire his piety and see his ascension as a defeat of the elite “White Turks” – a westernised elite that used to dominate the upper echelons of society and was accused of looking down with disdain on poorer, more religiously inclined citizens.

The secular opposition worries that the president and his party are reshaping Turkish society and clinging to neo-Ottoman ideals that see Turkey as the vanguard of a greater Islamic nation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ools-to-stop-teaching-evolution-official-says

our founding father is rolling in his grave.

 

[-SINAN-]

• 
  

Turkish schools to stop teaching evolution, official says


Board of education chairman says subject is debatable, controversial and too complicated for students



Kareem Shaheen and Gözde Hatunoğlu in Istanbul

Friday 23 June 2017 06.00 BSTLast modified on Friday 23 June 201707.04 BST

Evolution will no longer be taught in Turkish schools, a senior education official has said, in a move likely to raise the ire of the country’s secular opposition.

Alpaslan Durmuş, who chairs the board of education, said evolution was debatable, controversial and too complicated for students.

“We believe that these subjects are beyond their [students] comprehension,” said Durmuş in a video published on the education ministry’s website.

Durmuş said a chapter on evolution was being removed from ninth grade biology course books, and the subject postponed to the undergraduate period. Another change to the curriculum may reduce the amount of time that students spend studying the legacy of secularism.

Critics of the government believe public life is being increasingly stripped of the secular traditions instilled by the nation’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The secular opposition has long argued that the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pursuing a covert Islamist agenda contrary to the republic’s founding values. Education is a particularly contentious avenue, because of its potential in shaping future generations. Small-scale protests by parents in local schools have opposed the way religion is taught.

There is little acceptance of evolution as a concept among mainstream Muslim clerics in the Middle East, who believe it contradicts the story of creation in scripture, in which God breathed life into the first man, Adam, after shaping him from clay. Still, evolution is briefly taught in many high school biology courses in the region.

The final changes to the curriculum are likely to be announced next week after the Muslim Eid or Bayram festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The draft changes had been put forth for public consultation at the beginning of the year.

The subject of evolution in particular stirred debate earlier this year after Numan Kurtulmuş, the deputy prime minister,described the process as a theory that was both archaic and lacking sufficient evidence.

Reports in Turkish media in recent weeks, based on apparent leaks of school board meetings, have also predicted a diminished role in the curriculum for the study of Atatürk, and an increase in the hours devoted to studying religion. Durmuş said that a greater emphasis would be placed on the contributions of Muslim and Turkish scientists and history classes would move away from a “Euro-centric” approach.

The changes were based on a broad public consultation in which parents and the public played a key role, he said.

The Islamist-secularist debate is just one of a series of divides in a country that two months ago narrowly approved a referendum granting President Erdoğan broad new powers.

Many in the religiously conservative element of the president’s support base admire his piety and see his ascension as a defeat of the elite “White Turks” – a westernised elite that used to dominate the upper echelons of society and was accused of looking down with disdain on poorer, more religiously inclined citizens.

The secular opposition worries that the president and his party are reshaping Turkish society and clinging to neo-Ottoman ideals that see Turkey as the vanguard of a greater Islamic nation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ools-to-stop-teaching-evolution-official-says

Hmmm, i have graduated from TED Ankara High school. (one of the most prestigious high schools in Turkey)....yet i don't remember "evolution" was in our curriculum.

I think, they also should remove integral and derivation from math classes in high school.

Though, i think evolution should taught even basically.

Edit: Noticed that this is a tit for tat thread.

 

[Nefarious]

you won't be missing anything.

 

[SouI]

we should have only imam hatip schools. which is one of the worst performing schools in the country. an akp official once said very clearly the educated don't vote for us. he is not wrong,

It is not "one of the worst" schools. according to YGS results, imam-hatips performed THE OUTRIGHT WORST RESULTS IN EVERY CATEGORY among all types of highschools!

They are "THE WORST"!



That's religion for you.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

This was expected of Erdogans Turkey.
The collapse starts with education, as they can infuse the minds of the uneducated easily.
I predict that now the restrictions on girls education will Also begin.

This is beyond your scope Mr Minister, children can easily understand evolution.

Slowly but surely Turkey is saying good buy to secularism.

Turkey is different. Our overall effectiveness/performance of the education system has massively improved since Erdoğan came to power. But he still is a religious politician with a pragmatic approach.

 

[blondeturkish]

Turkey is different. Our overall effectiveness/performance of the education system has massively improved since Erdoğan came to power. But he still is a religious politician with a pragmatic approach.

are you taking the piss right now?

 

[Sliver]

Evolution is bs. But still, we have to study the concept of it students"...

Islamic scholars discussed evolution in Plants and animals 600 years before darwin btw. Infact, Darwin was criticized for rehashing the old "mohammaden theory" when he first came up with evolution

then why is evolution BS according to your teachers?

 

[EyelessInGaza]

Using the curriculum as a political and religious tool is dangerous. More so because the consequences are devastating, not easily understood and not easily combated becaue they are not so easily felt in he short term.

 

[TMA]

our founding father is rolling in his grave.

Yes he probably is.