Teachers are now allowed to answer questions on creationism but must make clear it has no underpinning scientific principles.

New government advice is in response to a strong campaign in schools by the Christian group ‘Truth in Science‘ which promots intelligent design (ID), a Creationism offshoot. The advice is intended to avoid the US situation where pressure from the religious Right has forced science teachers to begin lessons in ID. Creationism, the Biblical theory that The Earth was created by God in six days, has been controversial. Pupils taking Biology GCSE with exam board OCR this year became the first students in mainstream education to answer questions on the theory in a science exam. The new guidance says teachers should respond ‘positively and educationally’ to questions about Creationism and be ‘respectful of students’ views, religious or otherwise’. However teachers should instil in pupils aged five to 14 the outlines of evolutionary theory and focus on it for GCSE and A-level.

Article reproduced from the Prayer In Action web site. See http://www.prayerinaction.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=878&Itemid=222

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