忘却からの帰還〜Intelligent Design

州法案	Alabama House Bill 133, 2012 Regular Session
提案者	Blaine Galliher州下院議員(共和党)
提案	2012/02/07
状況	2012/02/07 第1読会、教育政策委員会に送付 2012/03/01 第2読会 2012/05/09 無期延期

この時代にしては珍しく、選択科目として公立高校で放課後に創造論を含む宗教教育を可能にしようとした州法案だったが、放置モードで終わった。

When the last day of the regular legislative session of the Alabama legislature ended on May 16, 2012, a bill that would have established a credit-for-creationism scheme died. House Bill 133, if enacted, would have authorized "local boards of education to include released time religious instruction as an elective course for high school students." Its sponsor, Blaine Galliher (R-District 30), explained his purpose in introducing the bill to WAFF in Huntsville, Alabama (February 5, 2012): "They teach evolution in the textbooks, but they don't teach a creation theory ... Creation has just as much right to be taught in the school system as evolution does and I think this is simply providing the vehicle to do that."

アラバマ州議会の会期が2012年5月16日に終了し、創造論教育を認証するスキームを作ろうとした州法案は廃案になった。HB133は成立していれば、「地域教育委員会に高校選択コースとして放課後宗教教育を採用すること」を合法にする。提案者のDistrict-30の共和党Blaine Galliher州下院議員は、州法案提案の目的をアラバマ州HuntsvilleのWAFFに次のように説明していた(2012/02/05)：「彼らは進化論を教科書で教えているが、創造理論を教えていない。創造論は進化論と同様に学校で教えられる権利がある。私は、その機会を与えるために、これを考えた。」

The Birmingham News (February 17, 2012) later reported that Galliher introduced the bill at the behest of Joseph Kennedy, a former teacher who "was fired in 1980 for reading the Bible and teaching creationism at Spring Garden Elementary School when parents of the public school sixth-grade students objected and he refused to stop." Kennedy indicated that he and his supporters were poised to offer a course on creationism in their local school district, using a Bible with notes by the Institute for Creation Research's Henry Morris to "give students good sound scientific reasons to support their faith in the seven-day creation and the young Earth," if the bill passed.

Birmingham News (2012/02/17)は、「Galliher州下院議員が、1980年にSpring Garden小学校で、聖書を読み上げ、創造論を教えて、6年生の保護者から反対があったが、中止を拒否した元教師Joseph Kennedyの依頼で提案した」と報道した。Kennedy元教師は「州法が成立していれば、私と支持者たちは、7日間の創造と若い地球という信仰を支持する正しい科学的理由があることを生徒に知らせるために、地域学区で、Institute for Creation ResearchのHenry Morrisの注記のついた聖書を使った創造論コースを提供しようとした。」と述べていた。

[ Credit-for-creationism scheme dies in Alabama (2012/05/17) on NCSE ]

Alabama House Bill 133

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to courses of study in public schools; to provide legislative intent; and to authorize local boards of education to include released time religious instruction as an elective course for purposes of satisfying certain curriculum requirements for high school students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Released Time Credit Act.
Section 2. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) That the free exercise of religion is an inherent, fundamental, and inalienable right secured by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
(2) That the free exercise of religion is important to the intellectual, moral, civic, and ethical development of students in Alabama, and that any such exercise must be conducted in a constitutionally appropriate manner.
(3) That the United States Supreme Court, in its decision, Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), upheld the constitutionality of released time programs for religious instruction during the school day if the programs take place away from school grounds, school officials do not promote attendance at religious classes, and solicitation of students to attend is not done at the expense of public schools.
(4) That the United States Constitution and state law allow local school districts to offer religious released time education for the benefit of public school students.
(5) That the purpose of this act is to incorporate a constitutionally acceptable method of allowing school districts to award public high school students in the state elective credit for classes in religious instruction taken during the school day in released time programs, because the absence of an ability to award such credits has essentially 2 eliminated the ability of a school district to accommodate the desires of parents and students to participate in released time programs.
Section 3. (a) Each local board of education in the state may adopt a policy that authorizes a high school student to be excused from school to attend a class in religious instruction conducted by a private entity if all of the following are satisfied:
(1) The parent or guardian of the student gives written consent.
(2) The sponsoring entity maintains attendance records and makes them available to the public school the student attends.
(3) Transportation to and from the place of instruction, including transportation for any student with disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring entity, parent, or guardian.
(4) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and assumes liability for the student who is excused.
(5) No public funds are expended and no public school personnel are involved in providing the religious instruction.
(b) A student who participates in a released time religious instruction may earn elective course credit for participation as determined by the local board of education. The credit awarded may not exceed one credit unit. The local board of education may adopt minimum standards for any program pursuant to this act including minimum standards for the curriculum and participation necessary to qualify for credit.
(c) It is the responsibility of a participating student to make up any missed schoolwork.
(d) No student may be released from a required core curriculum class to attend a religious instruction class.
(e) While in attendance in a released time religious instruction class pursuant to this section, a student is not considered to be absent from school. Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

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