Children should be taught about creationism in school, top scientist says

Children should be taught about creationism in school biology lessons, a leading scientist said today.

Prof Michael Reiss, director of education for the Royal Society, said banning creationism from the classroom could backfire at a time of growing religious fundamentalism.

Creationists take a literal view of the Bible and Koran and believe that the world was created in six days.

Some argue that the universe is less than 10,000 years old and that evolution is a hoax.

Prof Reiss, a Church of England minister and former biology teacher, said he strongly believed in teaching the theory of evolution to children.

But rather than dismiss creationism as wrong or stupid, teachers should be prepared to discuss it as another 'worldview'.

'It arises from my time as a biology teacher in schools when I realise that simply banging on about evolution didn’t lead some pupils to change their views at all,' he said.

'I had previously been rather evangelical about teaching evolution, trying to change pupil’s minds. 

'Now I would be rather more content simply for them to understand it as one way of understanding the universe.'

Around one in 10 British schoolchildren come from families with creationist beliefs, Prof Reiss said at the British Association science festival in Liverpool.

Many of these children came from Muslim backgrounds or families with fundamental Christian views.

'There’s no controversy from a scientific point of view here,' he said.

'I’m very comfortable with the idea of the theory of evolution by natural selection is as well established as almost any scientific theory could be and it should be taught in school science lessons.'

But if teachers give the impression that children with creationist believes are wrong or stupid, they are likely to be turned off all science, he said.

He added:  'Some science teachers think that because creationism and intelligent design are scientifically invalid that anybody holding them is just being a bit stupid. That’s not something I would want to convey.

'Although pupils might have other irrational beliefs – about ghosts, tarot or astrology - creationism should be treated as a special case.

'The depth of sincerity with which people believe creation narratives from the scriptures – whether it is Islam, Christianity or some other religion – tends to be much greater than the belief that people have in horoscopes or astrology.'

In Britain there is growing pressure to include 'intelligent design' in schools – the belief that life is too complex to have evolved by natural selection.

In America, where around 40 per cent of children come from families who believe in creationism, some schools are teaching intelligent design alongside evolution.

But the comments provoked an angry reaction from other scientists.

Prof Lewis Wolpert, a biologist at University College Medical School, London, said: 'Creationism is based on faith and has nothing to do with science, and it should not be taught in science classes.

'There is no evidence for a creator, and creationism explains nothing. It is based on religious beliefs and any discussion should be in religious studies.'

And Dr John Fry, Reader in Physics at University of Liverpool, said: 'Science lessons are not the appropriate place to discuss creationism, which is a world view in total denial of any form of scientific evidence.

'I am completely in favour of challenging the scientific basis of evolution and understanding its strengths and weaknesses, just as I am in favour of challenging all other scientific theories: that is how we learn and make progress and that should certainly be a part of science lessons. But creationism doesn’t challenge science; it denies it.'