Worrying

[cultureofdoubt]

40 or more schools teaching bullshit in science classes* via the New Humanist blog.

That's quite a bit more than I expected to be perfectly honest.

*I mean in a really bad way. They teach creationism to the exclusion of evolution. "Teaching the controversy" is bad enough outside a sociological context (in other words, teaching that there are

Comments

[cultureofdoubt]

It's not a complaint about teachers. It's a complaint about higher level decisions made by certain schools as a whole, not decisions being made by teachers. As far as I know the vast majority of schools are doing a good job on basic literacy, numeracy and scientific literacy. Mine certainly did. In the schools above there's no reason to think there's a decision by any individual teacher alone to deliberately fail to teach important stuff.
Also this isn't about a failure to teach when an effort is being made, or even about a failure to teach through no effort being made. It's about a deliberate effort to teach bad stuff.

Also, if they can't read or do basic arithmetical operations then they're not at the stage in their education where they'd be reading textbooks claiming evolution is a lie.

And you'd be mistaken to think I'm not doing anything about it other than ranting (the ranting itself is an accusation I willingly plead guilty to). Without the names of the schools in question there's not a lot I can do about it, but to claim I'm doing nothing is wrong, given the opinions I express through the usual democratic channels, the organisations I financially support, and the organisations supporting science in schools that I give my time to.

[red_tree]

I think you need to check up on the number of kids who get to GCSE age without basic literacy and numeracy skills as a starting point, but they still have to go through the syllabi for various qualifications so that schools can get their place in the league tables.

Sorry to go off on one, but I think you are blowing this issue out of proportion slightly- yes teaching solely is creationism is wrong, but 40 schools across the UK is a tiny number and there are many more fundamental issues in education that need to be dealt with first.

[cultureofdoubt]

That's ok, I think it's quite right to prioritise literacy and numeracy, and make sure they're in place first and foremost. They're absolutely core.

I'd also say I don't think I've blown it out of proportion. I did give that number, and said it was more than I expected, but it is obviously a small number.

I think it is an important issue, especially when taken together with the issue of faith schools as a whole and whether we should have them. It is an issue that interests me, as part of a wider range of related issues, but it's not even that far up the priority list amongst those either. I have to respect the fact that this is coming about out of the freedoms people have which I count as more important, and there's plenty of mumbo-jumbo out there which have more, and more severe, negative consequences whether financial, emotional, or medical, and those I'd rate of more concern too. But that won't mean I won't express an opinion on only the issues I think are most important.

[red_tree]

I didn't mean not to express an opinion either, and I think maybe my response was more emotional than considered.
I do agree with you that this and the whole idea of faith schools in themselves is an issue, just that there are far more fundamental problems at the core of education in the UK (e.g. literacy, teaching to the test, the fact that where you live basically determines how well you'll do in school).
Oh, and the fact that the Government don't have a clue and won't leave us to get on with it

[cultureofdoubt]

"Oh, and the fact that the Government don't have a clue and won't leave us to get on with it"
I think we're in agreement there :) And of course with the other bigger problems

[evath]

I don't mean to jump into another persons discussion here, because I understand where you are both coming from and this certainly isn't a criticism of your respective opinions. But I have some thoughts I would like share.

Always be careful with there are more important things to solve like X arguments, or you need to concentrate on A before we worry about B etc. While I agree in this argument literacy is foremost, I still find the idea of someone unable to make a reasoned argument quite terrifying. I would be willing to argue it is partly that fact that we have such trouble with getting a Government to listen. Also you don't need to be literate to make reasoned arguments, so we can aim for both at the same time. I'd rather have to work with a reasoned illiterate over an unreasoned person, of course the best choice would be reasoned and literate.

What I'm trying to say at the end of the day different people are attempting to solve the same basic problem thing in different ways. With statistics like this back in '97 that less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000."[http://www.newint.org/issue287/keynote.html] Many would condemn people like me who place my support elsewhere first. But that's because I have my beliefs and my priorities to what I think I can change.

I'm not a person who can honestly do a job without thinking it even in the smallest way is making a difference, and isn't important. However a lot of what I have will never be topical or noticed. I'd like however to think it's still worthwhile to discuss to those who listen.

Anyway, I don't meant to start this up again if it only serves to antagonise you, so let this topic die if you wish.