No creationism in Hawaiian schools. (News).

Seeking to avoid a controversy such as what recently happened in Kansas ("Evolution Revolution," CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR, March 2000, p. 26), Hawaii's Board of Education unanimously voted not to teach creationism in its public schools.

The issue of teaching evolution or creationism, or both, in U.S. K-12 science classes has come to a boil in recent years as many religious groups have sought to have creationism--the theory that God created man, not that man evolved from primates--added to curricula. Kansas became a lightning rod for the movement when its school board voted to remove evolution from its science curriculum, only to add it later under pressure.

Though many supported creationism being taught in Hawaii, the board did not feel it should be added to, or replace, evolution, which is already taught. In fact, the board decided not to include any other theories beyond evolution in its science instruction.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which does not support religious doctrine being taught in public schools, threatened a lawsuit against the board if it had voted to teach creationism, according to published reports.