NC lawmakers back dumping earth science for computer science graduation requirement
A divided state House Education Committee backed legislation Tuesday that would replace earth science with computer science as a high school graduation requirement.
House Bill 8 adds computer science as a standalone graduation requirement beginning with ninth-grade students in the 2024-25 school year. The legislation directs the State Board of Education to fit in the new computer science credit by eliminating one of the three required science courses, with earth science expected to be the one that’s cut.
“Seventy percent of the future workforce over the next 10 years is going to require a baseline of knowledge in computer science, so we really wanted to do what’s right for our kids,” said Rep. Erin Paré, Wake County Republican and the bill’s primary sponsor. “This is more about not if we should do it but how we can implement it in a responsible way, a timely way, an efficient way.”
But critics of the legislation questioned eliminating earth science.
“Eliminating one of those (science credits) is going to be a detriment to our students.,” said Rep. Julie von Haefen, a Wake County Democrat. “When we think about environmental or earth science, it’s not just learning about the environment, but it’s using scientific principles and applying those in a way and creating students who are thinking creatively and applying these principles to lots of different environments.”
Tuesday’s voice vote appeared to largely be along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed. The bill now goes to the House State Government Committee.
Lawmakers change graduation requirements
North Carolina high school students currently must complete at least 22 credits to graduate. That includes three science credits: physical science, biology and earth science/environmental science.
The legislation says the state board can’t add a 23rd credit to fit in computer science. While it doesn’t specify which science course has to be removed, earth science is expected to be the one that’s eliminated.
“The Board of Education would have to take this from three to two (science credits), and that would be an earth science requirement that would be replaced,” Paré told the committee. “This bill does not preclude any district from offering earth science. It just wouldn’t be a requirement.”
Rep. David Willis, a Union County Republican, added that students who want to study earth science can take it as an elective.
This wouldn’t be the first time that state lawmakers made changes to high school graduation requirements.
In 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation making financial literacy one of the high school social studies requirements. The new state law led to changes such as eliminating one of the two U.S. history courses that high school students had been required to take.
Alternatives to eliminating earth science
Lawmakers asked about alternatives on Tuesday to eliminating a science credit.
Currently, students need to take six elective credits to graduate. The committee rejected an amendment from Rep. Rosa Gill, a Wake County Democrat, to fit in the new computer science credit by reducing the number of elective credits by one.
Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, a Wilkes County Republican, asked why computer science wasn’t made a math requirement. Deputy State Superintendent Michael Maher said the UNC System faculty doesn’t think there’s enough pure math in computer science to make it a math requirement.
Von Haefen asked about using the existing computer science elective that’s taught by career and technical education (CTE) teachers. Maher said that would create licensing issues requiring that elective because only CTE teachers could be used.
Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons, a Guilford County Democrat, said she’s concerned the change means applicants to the UNC System won’t meet the minimum entrance requirements of three high school science credits.. Maher said that high school students who want to go to college can take electives to meet UNC science requirements.
It’s an enigma where to place computer science in the graduation requirements, according to Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican and committee co-chair. But he said it must be done.
“If we don’t teach it to our children, we’re doing a disservice to them by not having it,” he said.
This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 3:50 PM.
