The Teaching of Evolution in UK Schools Mandatory

Joe Grundy

Link to news story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20547195 (sorry, don't know how to make it 'clickable').

I, for one, am glad to see that this has been clarified. Is it the same in the US?

Free schools were set up to free them from the control of LEA's. The worry was, some free schools based on religious principles would not teach science in an appropriate way, thus depriving the students of a rounded education. This clarification was needed to prevent the worse case scenario from occuring.

The sad thing is that such a clarification was necessary....

cofty

Thanks for flagging this up. There was an Academy in Gateshead partly funded by Reg Vardy, the born-again car dealer, that was teaching creationism. I think it is Emmanuel College.

Good to see the Tories have kept their pre-election pledge to stop schools lying to children

BBC Story here....

The new rules state that from 2013, all free schools in England must teach evolution as a "comprehensive and coherent scientific theory".

The move follows scientists' concerns that free schools run by creationists might avoid teaching evolution.

Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, said he was "delighted"....

Chariklo

Well, of course they must. Anything else would be ridiculous, just as it is ridiculous that anyone even tries to make a conflict between science and religion. There is none. Not in this country anyway.

It is incredibly worrying to read that Ameirca has such a conflict. I don't think any other country in the world does, does it?

Cofty, you are right about the college in Gateshead. Good that it had been stamped on.

james_woods

Just as an open question - we know that this is an issue with the fundamentalist christian private schools.

Is it also an issue in Islamic schools?

cofty

I don't think any other country in the world does, does it?

Yes, Turkey and Afghanistan.

Joe Grundy

Thanks for making that 'clickable', Cofty.

I was aware of Reg Vardy but kept getting him confused with Reg Varney from 'On The Buses'! (another comedian, but not so dangerous).

My own view is that inculcation of children equates to a form of abuse.

I'd be interested to know how this sort of government declaration would be accepted in the US. o they have an equivalent?

cantleave

Is it also an issue in Islamic schools?

Potentially yes!

james_woods

This would IMHO be difficult to do in the U.S. for private or religious schools, given the constitutional freedom of speech and religious freedom issues.

cofty

I think decisons about education are made on a more local level in the USA.

It appears to be a constant battle to keep some of the right-wing school boards from going native.

Google - Kitzmiller v Dover School Board

The Teaching of Evolution in UK Schools Mandatory

Share this