Teachers reject creation theory

Here are two articles, the first unwebbed from Western Australia's main Monday to Saturday newspaper, The West Australian, and the other webbed from our only Sunday newspaper, The Sunday Times, where the State School Teachers' Union gives the `thumbs down' to Intelligent Design being taught by its members in schools, and the State Minister for Education, Ljiljanna Ravlich, does a `backflip' compared to what she reportedly said on Friday that she was "open to the idea of intelligent design being taught alongside the theory of evolution" and she now rules out ID being taught in schools.

This is obviously a setback for ID in Western Australia (and Australia), but I doubt that this is the final word on the issue. The Federal Minister of Education could still tie Federal funding to something analogous to the Santorum amendment in the USA:

"The Conferees recognize that a quality science education should prepare students to distinguish the data and testable theories of science from religious or philosophical claims that are made in the name of science. Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution), the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society." ("Santorum Amendment," (SA 799). Senate Conference Report on H.R. 1, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 - (House of Representatives - December 12, 2001). Uniited States Senate, Congressional Record)

as a Christian Party, Family First, has the balance of power in the Senate, although I would be surprised if he did that.

And presumably the DVD "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" and still be shown to students? Finally, if the State schools completely reject ID, the private schools could steal a march on them and allow at least the controversy to be taught, that is the problems of evolution (including its materialistic, naturalistic philosophical assumptions), and the evidence for intelligent design in nature.

Actually, on reading it again, the State School Teachers Union seems not so much opposed to ID being taught in schools, but to the Federal Government interfering in State education (which is a current issue) and it's spokesperson left the door open for "teachers ... to discuss the theory with classes if it came up but it should not be mandatory":

SSTU spokeswoman Anne Gisborne said the union was sick of Dr Nelson using education as a political football. Ms Gisborne said the Minister had been grandstanding in the portfolio for some time and she predicted WA teachers would be outraged if Dr Nelson made any move to intervene in setting the curriculum, traditionally a State-based responsibility. "If there is any attempt to step in and interfere with the curriculum and Dr Nelson said teach this theory or else, given the way the State executive is feeling about interference, teachers would vote to refuse," Ms Gisborne said. She said teachers should be free to discuss the theory with classes if it came up but it should not be mandatory and should not be taught in the context of science. "I have no doubt that within the school system there are some students who do come from a background where their families believe this theory, so we have to respect that but teachers should be free to decide how they address it," she said.

which is in fact the ID movement's position!

The comment by Linc Schmitt, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of WA, who said of Dr Nelson, "All his medical training is rooted in the evidence of evolutionary biology," begs the question. If in fact Intelligent Design is true, then evolution (to the extent that it denies design) would be false and then all Dr Nelson's medical training would have been rooted in the evidence of Intelligent Design!

Stephen E. Jones, BSc (Biol)
Problems of Evolution"

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THE WEST AUSTRALIAN SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005 9

News

Teachers reject creation theory

SUZANNAH JAMES

If Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson imposes intelligent design on the WA education curriculum, members of the State School Teachers Union will refuse to teach it.

Earlier this week, Dr Nelson said theory of intelligent design espoused by Christian groups that life is too complex to have come about by chance, had enough merit to be taught in schools, as long as it did not replace scientific lessons about the origins of life.

SSTU spokeswoman Anne Gisborne said the union was sick of Dr Nelson using education as a political football.

Ms Gisborne said the Minister had been grandstanding in the portfolio for some time and she predicted WA teachers would be outraged if Dr Nelson made any move to intervene in setting the curriculum, traditionally a State-based responsibility.

"If there is any attempt to step in and interfere with the curriculum and Dr Nelson said teach this theory or else, given the way the State executive is feeling about interference, teachers would vote to refuse," Ms Gisborne said.

She said teachers should be free to discuss the theory with classes if it came up but it should not be mandatory and should not be taught in the context of science.

"I have no doubt that within the school system there are some students who do come from a background where their families believe this theory, so we have to respect that but teachers should be free to decide how they address it," she said.

One of WA's top evolutionary scientists has also rubbished any moves to teach the theory in schools, saying intelligent design is a front for creationism.

Linc Schmitt, associate professor of evolutionary biology at the University of WA, said he was "extraordinarily disappointed" with Dr Nelson's comments.

"All his medical training is rooted in the evidence of evolutionary biology," Professor Schmitt said.

"There is no place for this in the classroom. It should not be taught in schools - it is a front for the creationists.

"When we teach science, it is based on scientific method where hypotheses have been tested and proved over time.

"Intelligent design is based on religious principles and as such is a form of received wisdom.

"It is as if you have one group of people playing football and another group playing tennis and you are trying to decide who wins."

UWA evolution expert and biological anthropologist Jan Meyer said students could examine the intelligent design idea from a philosophical standpoint but it should not be taught as science.

© 2005 West Australian Newspapers Limited All Rights Reserved.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES, AUGUST 14, 2005 15

WA no to creation theory

By PAUL LAMPATHAKIS
14 August, 2005

EDUCATION Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich has ruled out introducing a controversial new religious theory in schools.

"I'm not considering bringing it in," she told The Sunday Times – defying Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson's view that the intelligent design theory should be included in school curriculums.

"I'm quite happy with the curriculum we've got," Ms Ravlich said.

"If Mr Nelson is going to make it mandatory through the next funding agreement, then we'd obviously have to look at it seriously, but it's certainly not my intention to introduce it into the curriculum."

She said Australia had an "evolved intelligent society" and Australians were entitled to their views on evolution versus creationist theory.

"And it's not my job to change people's views," she said.

This week Dr Nelson said parents should have the opportunity, if they wished, for their children to be exposed to the intelligent design theory, which suggests that life is too complex to not have had the involvement of an intelligent agent and has gained support in the US.

Ms Ravlich also hit back at Dr Nelson's claims in a daily newspaper that schools had to return to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, or risk producing a generation of illiterate underachievers.

In the same article, Dr Nelson attacked the controversial Outcomes-Based-Education system, calling it "a form of cancer" in the education establishment.

Ms Ravlich said WA had a first-class education and training system and parents could have full confidence about the quality of education that their children received.

She said WA students were ranked fourth and fifth in literacy and numeracy compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Ms Ravlich said students were still learning to read and write and do arithmetic, and Dr Nelson was misrepresenting Australia's education system to raise his profile to further his own political ambitions.

She defended OBE, saying it meant that students learnt the "fundamentals" as well as describing "what a student should know, what a student should understand, what a student should also be able to apply and what a student should value".

Special religious education is taught in only about 33 per cent of WA primary schools.

© Sunday Times