Countering Creationism

Attempts to have creationism and ‘intelligent design’ taught in science lessons have been made in some state-funded British schools, in particular academies run by the Emmanuel/Vardy foundation. The creationist organisation ‘Truth in Science’ launched a new website encouraging teachers to incorporate ‘Intelligent Design’ into their science teaching and mailed free resources to all Secondary Heads of Science. Other creationist organisations are increasingly operating in the UK, attempting to subvert science education in state schools.

After five years of campaigning by the BHA and others, in September 2007, the Government published its ‘Guidance on the place of creationism and intelligent design in science lessons’, in which it is made clear that creationism and intelligent design are not scientific theories, and so cannot be taught in science lessons, as they have "no underlying scientific principles, or explanations, and are not accepted by the scientific community as a whole".

2002-2007

The BHA was at the forefront of bringing creationism in British schools to public attention early in 2002, and has continued to promote the scientific theory of evolution and to lobby against the expansion of Vardy Foundation academies where creationism is taught in science lessons. For a look at the kind of thing teachers at the Vardy Foundation academy Emmanuel College, Gateshead, believe and teach, see the Emmanuel view of Science education and the “Christian Curriculum”.

The campaign began in 2002 when we received complaints about creationist activities at a school in Gateshead. The campaign generated prolific mediacoverage:

• US schools ban Darwin from class (24 Feb 2002, The Observer)
• Debate rages on in US (9 Mar 2002, The Guardian)
• Top school's creationists preach value of biblical story over evolution (9 Mar 2002, The Guardian)
• The Bible versus science (9 March 2002, The Guardian)
• Ofsted alerted over creationist school (14 March 2002, The Guardian)
• Creating a controversy (15 March 2002, The Guardian)
• Creationists 'harm religion' (16 March 2002, The Guardian)
• In the beginning (17 March 2002, The Observer)
• Creationist row blamed on support for faith schools (Tue 19 March 2002, The Guardian)

In March the BHA organised a letter from 43 scientists and philosophers to Tony Blair and relevant Government departments, expressing concern about this development and asking for improved guidance on Science teaching. The BHA also wrote a similar letter to relevant Government departments. In 2003 the BHA questioned the setting up state-funded independent schools that may promote creationism in a briefing to MPs, and has continued to participate in this debate and to assist the media on request.

In March 2002 BHA supporter Alice Mahon MP’s Early Day Motion on the teaching of creationism in schools attracted the support of nearly 50 signatures. When Parliamentary Humanist Group member Jenny Tonge MP, on 13/3/02, asked the Prime Minister whether he was "happy to allow the teaching of creationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools, Tony Blair replied that he was happy and that "it would be unfortunate if concerns about that issue were seen to remove the very strong incentive to ensure we get as diverse a school system as we properly can..." (Hansard, 13 Mar 2002, Column 886-7). In December 2003 The Guardian organised a conference on ‘Creationism: science versus faith in schools’. 

By Autumn 2004 the Vardy Foundation (now the Emmanuel School Foundation) controlled three schools in the North East – in Gateshead, Middlesbrough and Doncaster – and was negotiating for a fourth, in Conisborough near Doncaster.  The BHA circulated MPs and peers again with a briefing on creationist academies (pdf) in June 2004. In addition, the BHA Vice-President Richard Dawkins and the Bishop of Oxford wrote about creationism in schools in June 2004. The BHA had assurances from most relevant LEAs that they were not currently negotiating with Vardy – but we were also told privately that there is huge pressure on local councils to invite sponsors to finance academies locally, so the situation remains one to watch.

In October 2004 local campaigners in Conisbrough, near Doncaster, persuaded their LEA to reject a proposed school takeover by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation - a triumph for local campaigning and democracy. Read about the CADPAG campaign, and a sympathetic account of it in The Guardian .

On January 31 2005, Lord Taverne - BHA supporter and member of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group - asked in the House of Lords "whether the national curriculum will exclude the teaching of creationism in schools." The reply he and the other peers who contributed to this short debate received was not entirely satisfactory, and the BHA has written to the 6 peers involved pointing out some of the omissions and asking them to pursue the matter.

In February 2006, the DfES minister Jacqui Smith MP answered a parliamentary question tabled by Keith Vaz MP in a way that indicated the government believed creationism could be taught within the national curriculum for science. Read her answer here The BHA wrote to Ms Smith, copied to DfES minister Lord Adonis - you can read our letter here and her reply here

In March 2006, there was much press attention given to the apparent inclusion of creationism in a GCSE 'Gateway Science' specification produced by the OCR examinations board. OCR issued a reassuring statement, but we wrote to them to seek further assurances.

In April 2006, the Royal society issued a statement on the teaching of creationism, but in September 2006 the creationist organisation ‘Truth in Science ’ launched a new website encouraging teachers to incorporate ‘Intelligent Design’ into their science teaching and mailed free resources to all Secondary Heads of Science. The BHA denounced the new site and then, with the Christian think-tank Ekklesia, wrote to the DfES about its concerns over this attempt to smuggle creationism into school science and calling on the government to take action.  You may also wish to read the press release accompanying this letter.

We received a reply that the government were now willing to take action, and in September 2007, the new guidance was published.

In addition to campaigning against creationism, we also push for more teaching about evolution in the national curriculum - both in more depth and from an earlier age, an have recently made submissions to the government review of the primary curriculum to that effect.

What can you do?

Tell the BHA if you are concerned that creationism or intelligent design is being taught in your local school.

Write to your MP, urging her/him to resist any attempts to have creationism or intelligent design taught as science in schools and to push for the teaching of evolution to be improved.

You can support the BHA by becoming a member. That helps in itself, and you can help even more by supporting our campaigns in the ways suggested above. But campaigns also cost money – quite a lot of money – and we also need financial support. You can make a donation to the BHA.

See also

Our FAQ article offers rebuttals to the more frequent claims made by creationists.