EMINENT scientists and philosophers this week demanded the Prime Minister order changes to the national curriculum science syllabus in the wake of the row over creationism in schools.
The call came as the Office for Standards in Education sought clarification from Gateshead’s Emmanuel College on its position on science teaching.
The city technology college hosted a conference on creationism earlier this month. Four key members of the school, including headteacher Nigel McQuoid, support the theory.
Tony Blair this week received a petition signed by 43 scientists and philosophers including Sir Roger Penrose, professor of mathematics at Oxford University, Sir Hermann Bondi, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defence, and Lewis Wolpert, professor of biology as applied to medicine at University College, London.
Copies were also sent to Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris, the Government’s chief scientific adviser and the chair of its curriculum watchdog.
The group wants the legal requirements in national curriculum science to be tightened up to prevent creation stories being taught as anything other than religious myths.
It said GCSE examination boards needed to be clear in guidance to teachers and pupils that creationism was not a scientific hypothesis.
The group believes that the teaching of Darwinian evolution should start at key stage 2.
The group said: “Creationist science teachers appear to be exploiting the wording of key stage 4 science, which refers to pupils learning “how scientific controversies can arise from different ways of interpreting empirical evidence (for example Darwin’s theory of evolution).
“Scientists may disagree about the details and processes of evolution, but they do not disagree about whether it happened, and it is disingenuous of teachers to claim otherwise.”
The petition was organised by the British Humanist Association. In a separate letter to Mr Blair, it asked how new or existing faith-based schools could be protected from falling into the hands of religious fundamentalists - “as this CTC appears to have”.
OFSTED originally rejected calls from scientists including professors Richard Dawkins and Steve Jones for the school to be inspected. It is funded by the millionaire Christian businessman Sir Peter Vardy.
Teaching unions have also expressed concern at the possibility of teachers being appointed to schools because of their religious beliefs and not for their abilities.
