Evolution *is* science. It is foundational to our modern understanding to biology. Students are "forced" to learn evolution life science class for the same reason students are "forced" to algebra in math class.
Yeah, well looks to me like a lot of people see the theory of evolution as much more than mere science.
The one eternal characteristic of ignorance is absolute certainty, and absolute certainty does violence both to truth and to science.
Anything that can be said has been said or will be said, asterisks notwithstanding.
"Foundational" will come as a huge surprise to Galen, Aristotle, Mendel and Linnaeus.
Incidentally, one of the essential foundations of science is independent repeatability. Copping out with "eons" and "epochs" and other BS does not invalidate this simple requirement. There is no "science" of evolution among true scientists.
But what the heck; start calling it the "science" of evolution, "foundational", blah blah blah... and see how much traction it gets.