[Biffo the Bear]

As per the thread title, I was wondering what DSers thought of this?

Education secretary backs three schools run by groups with creationist views, raising concerns about levels of scrutiny

The education secretary, Michael Gove, has approved three free schools run by groups with creationist views, including one with a document on its website declaring that it teaches "creation as a scientific theory".

Grindon Hall Christian school in Sunderland, a private school due to reopen in September with state funding, says on its website that it will present creationism as science and affirm the position that Christians believe God's creation of the world is "not just a theory but a fact".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...l-free-schools

[m4rk1]

And what pray is the reason for that then?

[m4rk1]

Why can't these stupid religions just conclude that God created evolution and be done with it?

[jenzie]

not who runs them
who PAYS for them

[Charlottesweb]

So they can find tax payers money for this nonsense then.

[jenzie]

do you think they care what they teach?

[Auld Snody]

Yep the creeps on the right starting to rear their ugly heads , next it will be that if you are not a Christian you are sub human.

[David Tee]

An alternative view in the Telegraph

'Creationism' in free schools: the whiff of a witch-hunt.

The author makes this point

The reason I've used the word "witch-hunt" in the headline is that I suspect the real target of the BHA/Guardian campaign is not the teaching of pseudoscience in classrooms, but Christianity in general (this poisonous piece by Hadley Freeman captures the ultra-secularist mindset perfectly). Plus, of course, the institution of free schools, the success of which has infuriated the Left.

and this..

As I say, if there's a hidden agenda, then it's the Government's job to make sure it isn't implemented.

I agree 100% with both.

[johnnybgoode83]

Originally Posted by Auld Snody

Yep the creeps on the right starting to rear their ugly heads , next it will be that if you are not a Christian you are sub human.

That's how I feel when I talk with atheists, sometimes.

[Charlottesweb]

Originally Posted by David Tee

An alternative view in the Telegraph

'Creationism' in free schools: the whiff of a witch-hunt.

The author makes this point



and this..



I agree 100% with both.

I have no problem with religious organisations teaching creationism.

I have a problem with them getting taxpayers to fund it.

If the church wants creationism taught in schools, pay for and run their own.

[jenzie]

Originally Posted by Charlottesweb

I have no problem with religious organisations teaching creationism.

I have a problem with them getting taxpayers to fund it.

If the church wants creationism taught in schools, pay for and run their own.

umm, they already have places that do that .....

[YoungAtHeart]

Do they have to build the school in 6 days too?

[gummy mummy]

According to their website as of the 14th july 2012 Grindon Hall Christian School hadn't been approved as a Free School

FREE SCHOOL UPDATE on 14th July 2012
Again, I very much regret to say that there is no news. We can only advise all parents to assume that the Free School will open in September and act accordingly. It is now six weeks ago that we were told that the Treasury would let us know within 14 days. I realise that hundreds of parents are in the quite ridiculous situation of not knowing which school their child will be attending in September. We are quite helpless to do anything, I am afraid. We even attended a "Readiness for Opening Meeting" at the Department for Education's offices in Sheffield on Wednesday last week. The verdict was that we were more or less ready to go - but still the official line is that we can't yet make offers of places.

http://www.grindonhall.com/homepage.asp

[David Tee]

Originally Posted by Charlottesweb

I have no problem with religious organisations teaching creationism.

Originally Posted by Charlottesweb

I have a problem with them getting taxpayers to fund it.

If the church wants creationism taught in schools, pay for and run their own.

If they teach it as scientific fact, I most certainly do. Teach it as a belief, let the students know alternative views. Just don't teach it as fact.

It's absolutely not about the money for me. Once we start deciding what beliefs can and cannot be paid for we're on a very slippery slope.

[Charlottesweb]

Originally Posted by David Tee

[b]

If they teach it as scientific fact, I most certainly do. Teach it as a belief, let the students know alternative views. Just don't teach it as fact.

It's absolutely not about the money for me. Once we start deciding what beliefs can and cannot be paid for we're on a very slippery slope.

No, teaching its fact in a publicly funded school is my problem, there is no place for any religious bias in a publicly funded curriculum, it is the churches of all dominations jobs to teach their faiths, if they wish to run schools teaching anything at all in the bible, or any other holy book, as fact, they should fund it themselves.

Whilst I agree teaching it as fact is, as I said in my first post, nonsense, what I mean when I say I have no problem with it , is if its a church funded and ran school, and parents know the curriculum, then that education is on their heads, and I have no problem with that choice.

I think its insanity personally, but of they are paying for it themselves, its their business.

[Auld Snody]

Originally Posted by johnnybgoode83

That's how I feel when I talk with atheists, sometimes.

Thing is I am a Christian, but the liberal kind, you know the love your neighbour kind, new testament kind. Not the old testament, foaming at the mouth , born again, right wing religious ( Islam gets them as well , it is not just a Christianity thing) nutter.
And I do not see why the state should pay for them to propagate their ignorance

[johnnybgoode83]

Originally Posted by Auld Snody

Thing is I am a Christian, but the liberal kind, you know the love your neighbour kind, new testament kind. Not the old testament, foaming at the mouth , born again, right wing religious ( Islam gets them as well , it is not just a Christianity thing) nutter.
And I do not see why the state should pay for them to propagate their ignorance

I'm the same but some people just seem to go off on one if you even mention that you believe in God.

I may not believe in Creationism, but I have no problem with it being taught as long as it is as a theory and not fact. I think people should be taught all sides of anything and left to make up their own minds based on the evidence.

[Auld Snody]

Originally Posted by johnnybgoode83

I'm the same but some people just seem to go off on one if you even mention that you believe in God.

I may not believe in Creationism, but I have no problem with it being taught as long as it is as a theory and not fact. I think people should be taught all sides of anything and left to make up their own minds based on the evidence.

Yep , I do not mind creationism taught in religious education, all for it in fact. I just disagree with it being taught in science classes because it is not science

[Sniffle774]

20.Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof.

- Ashley Montagu

[Jilly]

No problem at all with it and I would think neither do the parents who are sending their children there.

[Auld Snody]

Originally Posted by Jilly

No problem at all with it and I would think neither do the parents who are sending their children there.

How do you reconcile religion being taught as science, it is like teaching science as a religion. Only a nutcase would try to do that and should they be teaching children if their grip on reality is that tenuous.

[I, Candy]

I don't have a problem if it's being taught as part of RE/ethics along the lines of "this is what Christianity believes" but no way should it be taught alongside evolution purporting to be a credible theory. It should not be portrayed as anything other than the belief of a primitive, superstitious people from over 2,000 years ago.

[Regis Magnae]

The Guardian article is alarmist in the headline. Reading the article I find nothing at this time too disturbing.

Science should teach evolution. RE should teach how religions think creation came about, though it should be objective and not purely be the Christian version. For instance instead of saying "God created the world," it should be said "Christians believe God created the world in this way".

[psionic]

Originally Posted by Biffo the Bear

As per the thread title, I was wondering what DSers thought of this?



http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...l-free-schools

I think there is a place for creationism to be taught as an alternative viewpoint. But certainly not as a 'scientific fact'. However creationism should confined to RE lessons.

[redhatmatt]

Originally Posted by Regis Magnae

The Guardian article is alarmist in the headline. Reading the article I find nothing at this time too disturbing.

Science should teach evolution. RE should teach how religions think creation came about, though it should be objective and not purely be the Christian version. For instance instead of saying "God created the world," it should be said "Christians believe God created the world in this way".

No RE should teach each religion to be examined critically. You simply just cant pigeonhole christian (or indeed any other religions) beliefs. There is a wide spectrum of beliefs surrounding the creation story among christians, and it should be up to the pupil to make up their own mind. I am deeply concerned that the management who hold creationist beliefs should be allowed to run such a school. What safeguards are there going to be for pupils who are gay? or who become pregnant and decide to have an abortion.

Whats next, is the Department of Education going to award the right to run a free school to organisations who have sympathy with Al Quaida?