Royal Society: Show respect 'creationism ''

Royal Society: Schools should show creationism 'respect'

It's not as bad as it seems

By Joe Fay → More by this author

Published Friday 12th September 2008 11:05 GMT

Updated The Royal Society has backed the discussion of creationism in school science classes, kicking off what promises to be a spectacular row amongst the country’s top boffins.

The boffinry talking-shop’s director of education told the British Association’s festival of science in Liverpool that creationism should be examined in school science classes as a legitimate point of view.

Michael Reiss, who is both a professor of biology and a Church of England clergyman, took the position that with ten per cent of UK school children coming from families with creationist leanings, teachers should convey a message of “respect” for those beliefs while continuing to teach evolution.

Ultimately, Reiss said, such children were unlikely to change their minds, but at least could be encouraged to view evolution as one way of understanding the universe.

Even more controversially, perhaps, The Royal Society told the Times that Reiss’ position reflected that of the society, on the basis that “teachers need to be in a position to be able to discuss science theories and explain why evolution is a sound scientific theory and why creationism isn’t”.

Sadly, Reiss’ plea for understanding is more likely to spark an almighty punch-up – if not in classrooms then certainly in the scientific and educational community.

For a start, creationism is firmly off the national curriculum. More importantly, his fellow scientists rushed to rubbish the prospect of creationism being debated over the nation’s Bunsen burners and metre rules.   More