No. Let me go further: Hell, no!
The idea that a monolith acting in a Deus Ex Machina fashion acted on a select group of proto human species? Some ID types argue for ET intervention and or seeding of life on the planet, though I doubt Clarke would have had anything to do with them.
Yes, some ID'ers claim just that. So do the Raelians. Making crackpot claims is precisely what makes them complete whackos/psychoceramics/nutjobs/crazies/IDiots in the first place.
Or is 2001 more a discussion for philosophy class?
Creative writing class. Or maybe science/speculative fiction class.
Let's say 2001 is a good subject for discussion in science class...
Let's not and say we did.
then what is so different about 2001 as opposed to a little discussion of the possible divine guidance where the origin of species is concerned?
Absolutely nothing. Just as absolutely nothing distinguishes it from Last Thursdayism or Invisible, Pink Unicornism or the Great, Green ArkleSeizure or the Flying Spaghetti Monster or, pretty much, any BS description of pixies, fairies, elves and any three-headed monster you care to name.
Which is why it hasn't earned a place in science class.
Clarke was definitely no creationist. We had a thread on him, many years ago: Arthur C. Clark's Views on Creationism. It's one of the first threads I ever posted.