As the world celebrates the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth and the publication of On the Origin of Species, the struggle for the integrity of school science education continues in the USA.

Methodists and other churches have welcomed a day of celebration dedicated to the achievements of scientist Charles Darwin during the year marking his 200th birthday and 150-year-old book on the theory of evolution.

Some will view Charles Darwin's anniversary year as one in which to score cultural points rather than purely to celebrate science, says Mark Vernon. That would be a missed opportunity for meaningful dialogue.

A survey carried out by an education TV station indicates that there is confusion and disagreement among teachers over what to do in science classrooms over views that challenge standard evolutionary biology.