comment 1 Metamag

Still sad to see people like Eugenie Scott being so ineffectual

Doesn't Eugenie Scott and NCSE actually fight creationism is US schools. And weren't they instrumental in support Tammy Kitzmiller in the ID Dover trial? I get the impression that whatever they are doing is sucessful in helping fight extremism, climate change denial and creationism in US schools. She sounds pretty effective to me.

Meanwhile I can't find the fact that the first genuine hardline creationist school has just been approved in the UK on this website at all! If it's here it is not obvious. I can't actually find it nor any outcry about it.

The creationist school has been mentioned in the British mainstream national press, on national radio, the Huggington post and all over the internet. Is it anywhere here? Are you orchestrating any campaigns Metamag?

Anyway this is from the BHA website.

group of creationists has gained approval from the Department for Education (DfE) to open a Free School from 2013. The group are behind the plans for Exemplar – Newark Business Academy, a revised bid from the same people who proposed Everyday Champion’s Academy last year. Everyday Champion’s Academy, which was formally backed by Everyday Champions Church, was explicitly rejected due to concerns surrounding the teaching of creationism. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed deep concern at the Government choosing to fund a creationist group.

In February 2011, while promoting the Everyday Champions Academy bid, Everyday Champions Church leader Gareth Morgan provoked controversy when he stated that ‘Creationism will be taught as the belief of the leadership of the school. It will not be taught exclusively in the sciences, for example. At the same time, evolution will be taught as a theory.’

In October, the school’s bid was rejected. The Church was told by the Department for Education that ‘The Secretary of State carefully considered your application, the views and beliefs of your organisation as set out in your application, your responses at interview and information about your organisation available in the public domain. He was unable to accept that an organisation with creationist beliefs could prevent these views being reflected in the teaching in the school and in its other activities. It is his firm view that the teaching of creationist views as a potentially valid alternative theory is not acceptable in a 21st century state funded school.’ Comment 1 Metamat

In January the group decided to bid again, this time for Exemplar Academy and without the formal backing of the church. However, the website for the new Academy was initially part of the Everyday Champions Church website; and the plans were launched at Everyday Champions Church, being described as a ‘resubmission’ of the previous bid. The group commented that ‘The school will be run on Christian values and we are proud of that. There is a huge difference between Christian values and Christian theology, which is why the original bid was turned down.’

Today, the group’s proposals have been approved. BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson commented, ‘Today the Government have given approval for a creationist group led school simply, it seems, because they have promised not to teach creationism. I am shocked that this is deemed a risk worth taking.

‘We will be campaigning vigorously in opposition to the plans.’

For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7462 4993 .> Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on countering creationism: http://www.humanism.org.uk/campaigns/religion-and-schools/countering-creationism

In additiion about a third of the new free schools will be run by religious groups and unlike existing state faith schools those religious groups will have far more control and a far greater say in how they are run. They will be totally free of the state unlike existing state schools of all types and the groups opening them will be much more able to use them to indoctrinate.

comment 1 Metamag

She accomplishes absolutely nothing(as latest polling shows) and still doesn't change the approach.

I can't help thinking Eugenie Scott is accomplishing far more in her area than some of her critics.