EvC Forum: 29% of UK teachers favor teaching creationism

So I've noticed that the US gets nailed alot here on EvC for the lack of scientific support by the community and teachers.

I always wondered how the UK favored the teaching of creationism or ID; did they have the same problems as the US, or were they above this?

I found this article in the Guardian,
Creationism should be taught as science, say 29% of teachers | Teaching | The Guardian

Heres a few quotes,

quote:
Creationism should be taught as science, say 29% of teachersJames Randerson, science correspondent guardian.co.uk,

Friday November 7 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian, Friday November 7 2008 Article history

Twenty-nine per cent of teachers believe that creationism and intelligent design should be taught as science, according to an online survey of attitudes to teaching evolution in the UK. Nearly 50% of the respondents said they believed that excluding alternatives to evolution was counter-productive and would alienate pupils from science.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents agreed with Reiss that teachers should engage with pupils who raise creationism or intelligent design in science lessons. Reiss said at the time that creationism was not science and he did not advocate giving it equal time alongside evolution, but he was forced to step down after furious reactions to his comments in the media from some Royal Society fellows.

Creationism should be taught as science, say 29% of teachersJames Randerson, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Friday November 7 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian, Friday November 7 2008 Article historyTwenty-nine per cent of teachers believe that creationism and intelligent design should be taught as science, according to an online survey of attitudes to teaching evolution in the UK. Nearly 50% of the respondents said they believed that excluding alternatives to evolution was counter-productive and would alienate pupils from science.

The survey, by the website and TV station Teachers TV, also found strong support for the views of Prof Michael Reiss, the former director of education at the Royal Society, who resigned in September over comments about including creationism in science lessons.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents agreed with Reiss that teachers should engage with pupils who raise creationism or intelligent design in science lessons. Reiss said at the time that creationism was not science and he did not advocate giving it equal time alongside evolution, but he was forced to step down after furious reactions to his comments in the media from some Royal Society fellows.

"This poll data confirms that the debate on whether there is a place for the teaching of creationism in the classroom is still fierce," said Andrew Bethell, chief executive of Teachers TV. Teachers TV emailed 10,600 education professionals, of which 1,210 responded. Because the sample is self-selecting, only those teachers with the strongest views might have replied.

Most controversially, 29% said they either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the government's guidelines on teaching evolution which states that "creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science national curriculum programmes of study and should not be taught as science". Fifty-three per cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.

Thirty-one per cent of respondents and 18% of the 248 science teachers in the sample said they thought creationism or intelligent design should be given the same status as evolution in the classroom, although this question did not specify whether it was referring to science lessons or the curriculum in general. Twenty-two respondents said they had been pressured to teach creationism or intelligent design by their school.

But senior Royal Society fellows disagreed with his position. "I think it is outrageous that this man is suggesting creationism should be discussed in a science classroom," said Sir Richard Roberts, winner of the 1993 Nobel prize for Medicine.

It seems to me that, even though by a smaller percent, the UK suffers the same problems in that even some of their intellectuals(29%) favor the teaching of creationist.

One question I have is to the members of EvC from the UK, Do you see this type of thinking, that creationism should be taught in schools as(a) A growing trend amongst intellectuals (for any number of reasons that could be debated as sub-topics) or, (b) Declining but does still have an affect on the school system , or (c) Just a small narrow minded opinion that usually gets ignored?

I have always debated here on EvC that I consider the US being a (c) even though one could make a good argument for (b).

So I would like to know where the UK falls on this and why?

Also, the most recent poll I found for US teachers, all though High School teachers, is much less than in the UK (US 16%)
Page not found - THIRTEEN - New York Public Media

quote:
A recent survey by Penn State researchers of high school science teachers yielded the surprising results that an estimated 16% in the U.S. believe in creationism. With this large a number potentially spreading creationist doctrine, is it any surprise that the recent documentary ”Expelled”, about those who study the concept of intelligent design is so popular? Recently in the P.O.V. blog, writer Tom Roston has questioned the film ”Expelled’-but more for it’s techniques, and implications for future documentary productions.

What does that tell us about the differences between the teachers in the US and the UK? Or does it reflect anything at all about public opinion?

If promoted I don't know where it would go, I guess Coffee House?

Edited by onifre, : No reason given.

"I am sure all of your friends are charmed by your flavored words, but they hardly are of any use in a discussion among gentlemen. ~ JBR

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