Government warns schools against creationism

reposted from: NSS Newsline today

Government warns schools against creationism
The Department for Children, Schools, and Families (DCSF) has written to all schools with a warning about the teaching of creationism and intelligent design as fact, and has issued guidance on how to handle such situations. The British Centre for Science Education strongly supports this move and hopes that it will be effective in preventing children being misinformed about scientific ideas.

The guidance was issued in response to propaganda issued in late 2006 by a Christian fundamentalist-backed creationist organization styling itself "Truth in Science", which sent packets of creationist teaching materials to every secondary school in the UK. With such material in mind, it recommends, "Any resource should be checked carefully before it is used in the classroom.

If resources which mention creationism or intelligent design are used, it must be made clear that neither constitutes a scientific theory."

Mike Brass, Chairman of the British Centre for Science Education said,

"We are very pleased that the Government has issued such a strong statement and clear instructions to schools, which should go a long way to prevent children being misinformed. However, we remain deeply concerned that creationist groups are still being allowed to operate or influence City Academies and similar schools outside the mainstream. The Government should close this loophole immediately."

See the guidance document.