In a small victory for common sense against the juggernauts of religion and relativism lobbying by top scientists and humanists has caused a u-turn in educational policy recently culminating in some important changes to the recent education bill. Now the subject of evolution is to become a compulsory element of the primary curriculum. I sincerely hope that for the sake of the children, a proper and accurate coverage of this topic will be enforced at "faith" schools, I am sceptical though, the Government spokesman was keen to stress that religious schools can teach the subject in a manner that is "sympathetic to the ethos of the school". In my mind this equates to a cop out, science is science there is no "ethos" about it, teach the kids the facts, full stop!
Not teaching evolution at this early stage represents a serious impediment to subsequent life-science teaching, nothing in Biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, it is as foundational as arithmetic and times-tables are to mathematics. I wrote a letter to my MP about this earlier this year and got a stock "dear John" letter back; at the time I felt it was a futile effort, now I feel encouraged, I feel like I need to get more active about things like this. Institutionalised conventions which seem bogged down with tradition and vested interests can actually be changed after all.
6 comments:
Hmm, I have a habit of saying 'common sense is not the same thing as good sense'... but I guess that makes me a relativist.
I am rather more concerned that non faith schools will not give children accurate information. For example will they say:
1) The more you indulge in casual sexual intimacy the more likely you are to get a baby or an infection - irrespective of whether you are an expert on condoms.
2) Abortion is not long stop contraception, it is simply having your baby killed.
3) Sex is not light entertainment but serious in both its psychological and biological consequences
4) Cohabitation, however well meant, is far less stable than marriage.
5) The children of single parent families are, on average, disadvantaged on all important social measurements.
Steve,
I think part of the attraction to sending your child to a faith based school includes minimising your child's exposure to things in the world that conflict with your faith, especially when they are young and the chosen ideas are still being inculculated. This way parents have a lot less difficulty with questions from their children about things that might appear contradictory, and hopefully shield them from the psychological consequences of sex. :-)
OP, good point they are not the same, perhaps I should have said "evidence based sense".. :)
Quentin, I agree the whole subject of sex and relationship education in this country still doesn't reflect the reality or diversity that it should.
Lisa, yes it must be like holding back a tide, King Canute would be proud.
The fact that the Government goes along with it and in many ways encourages it is such a cynical and backward policy IMO.
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