Close down creationist schools, says British Education Minister, according to report on BBC 14 February 2010 and Free Schools in 2012, How to apply. The British government is setting up a new programme of independent schools, known as Free Schools. According to the guidelines for groups applying to set up one of these schools: “The vision of the Free Schools programme is to raise standards by encouraging a range of new and diverse providers to play a much greater role in state education”. One of the aims is listed as: “provide parents with greater choice about the school their child attends – with the power to propose to set up their own school if they are unhappy with existing options”. Page 12, Section 4 of the How to apply document lists the criteria used to assess applications, and includes this statement: “Creationism, intelligent design and similar ideas must not be taught as valid scientific theories”. No other topics are specifically banned from being taught.
Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education in Britain is an outspoken opponent of creationism. In an interview about Free Schools on the BBC radio programme, The Andrew Mar Show, Gove stated: “Well the critical thing is they will have freedom over the curriculum, and that’s one of the most important freedoms that they can have”. Further on he was asked by Andrew Marr, “what about creationism?” Gove replied: “Well to my mind, you cannot have a school which teaches creationism. And one thing that we will make absolutely clear is that you cannot have schools which are set up, which teach people things which are clearly at variance with what we know to be scientific fact. But critical inspection is key here. We do have some schools at the moment, independent schools which have been set up by religious groups. You mention Islamic groups. Let’s be clear, there are other fundamentalist groups as well which have schools in the private sector. If those schools are properly regulated and inspected, then we can ensure that anyone who teaches in a way which undermines our democratic values can be brought to public light, challenged, and, if necessary, closed down”.
BBC, Free Schools How to Apply
Editorial Comment: Michael Gove talks about “democratic values”, but he is clearly ignoring the significant number of British adults (and therefore many parents and teachers) who believe creation. The hypocrisy of educators, politicians and bureaucrats in the way they claim to be supporting democracy is quite breath-taking. On one hand they proclaim they are providing “parents with greater choice about the school their child attends” and giving them “freedom over the curriculum” but any parents who want their children to be taught about creation are specifically excluded from the system. Such a bold faced position is simply another way of antichrist Governments saying that Governments own all the children, and parents have no rights over their education. Keep watching for such Governments to move for children to be confiscated from Christian parents for teaching them any Biblical views as absolutes. We predict it will happen. (Ref. education, philosophy, politics, prediction)
Evidence News 19 October 2011