Hanle in the Washington Post on The Education Issue

Paul Hanle has an article in the Washington Post titled “The Education Issue”. Its first paragraph is amusing, although Hanle did not intend it to be. Here it is.

I recently addressed a group of French engineering graduate students who were visiting Washington from the prestigious School of Mines in Paris. After encouraging them to teach biotechnology in French high schools, I expected the standard queries on teaching methods or training. Instead, a bright young student asked bluntly: "How can you teach biotechnology in this country when you don't even accept evolution?"

Hanle characterizes the student as bright. Hanle makes a recommendation about teaching in France. The student criticizes the US. The student claims that nobody in the US accepts evolution (plural “you”). The student implies that it is impossible to teach a concept that nobody in the US accepts (yes, I am purposely ignoring the probability that the student may have been referring to the operational aspects of the issue).

This student sounds abrasive and dumb, not bright.