Schools Failing To Teach Environmental Science

In this era of pollution, endangered species and global climactic change, I would have thought our schools would be in the forefront of teaching environmental science. But they aren't.

A new report titled "Environmental Literacy in America" says that the teaching of environmental science is actually declining in America. Brian A. Day, executive director of the North American Association of Environmental Education, says, "Young people are graduating from high school totally environmentally illiterate. They neither know nor know how to address challenges, whether with lifestyle changes or public policy issues."

Why is this happening? One of the major reasons is the No Child Left Behind legislation passed by the Republicans. This law puts a high value on the teaching of math and reading. It tests all students in these two core subjects, and grades their schools on how these tests come out. A school whose students don't do well on these tests can be subjected to severe penalties or even taken over by the state.

Because of this, in many schools the raises or bonuses of teachers also depend on the scores of their students on these tests. So, it's understandable that with so much at stake for schools and teachers, they would devote most of their energies to teaching the subjects that the students would be tested on -- math and reading.

Even in schools that try not to "teach the test", it is understandable that science, which is not tested, would be given the short stick. But understandable or not, putting science on the back-burner is causing American students to get less and less knowledge of science -- especially environmental science.

Delicia Reynolds, legislative counsel for Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Maryland), says, "We're at a time where, because of things like climate change -- with more and more evidence that the climate is changing -- all these issues are becoming increasingly acute, so we need to engage young people in addressing these issues, so we need to educate young people."

I believe there are two other issues feeding into this problem. One is the denial of our current federal officials of the reality of global climactic change. There is no urgency to teach environmental science if you don't believe there are any environmental problems.

The other issue is the attempt to force religion into our science classes through the introduction of "intelligent design" (the newest incarnation of creationism). The argument over creationism has diverted attention from the teaching of real science.

As the Democrats regain power, they must reverse this trend. We must renew our efforts to teach real science and see to it that environmental science is taught with renewed vigor in our schools. We must do this as though our future depends on it -- because it does.