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Jewish School Removes Evolution Questions From Exams

Posted by samzenpus on from the everything-that's-fit-to-know dept.

Alain Williams writes "Religious sponsored ignorance is not just in the USA, a school in Hackney, England is trying to hide the idea of evolution from its pupils. Maybe they fear that their creation story will be seen for what it is if pupils get to learn ideas supported evidence. The girls are also disadvantaged since they can't answer the redacted questions, thus making it harder to get good marks."

10 of 431 comments (clear)

  1. If you don't like it.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Then don't send your kids to a Jewish school. Religious freedom is part of that whole "freedom" idea that some folks are pretty fond of.

      "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." - Mahatma Gandhi

    1. Re:If you don't like it.... by Namarrgon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A shame the kids themselves don't get a say in their indoctrination & skewed education. I know parents need to make choices on behalf of their kids, but it's not always easy to watch.

      Education is mandatory in most countries, regardless of religious beliefs, but I wonder how much control that allows over the curriculum.

      --
      Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
    2. Re:If you don't like it.... by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Maybe they should also teach them that 2+2=7 and that The Earth is flat. And feed them on nothing but kitkats.

      Would you say that was OK, too?

      Last time I checked we have child protection to take children away from clueless parents.

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      No sig today...
    3. Re:If you don't like it.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You cannot be free if you don't have the knowledge to take informed decissions

      An adult person may have the freedom to decide whether to learn or not ... but when we talk about kids, the society should warrant they have the opportunity to learn above the wishes of their tutors

    4. Re:If you don't like it.... by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is the reason that education is *mandatory* in civilized countries - to take some part of the decision-making process away from uninformed parents.

      --
      No sig today...
    5. Re:If you don't like it.... by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You think a six-year-old has the same decision making ability as an 20-year-old?

      Is it a coincidence that most street gangs indoctrinate new members around the age of 13?

      The "age of consent" thing is a bit arbitrary but it doeshave a basis in reality. Young children are far easier to indoctrinate/persuade than adults.

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      No sig today...
    6. Re:If you don't like it.... by Grey+Geezer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Any creed that requires the indoctrination of children for its survival is suspect. If it can't wait until adulthood to present evidence in its favor there is a very good chance that something evil is at its core. Forced ignorance is evil. Voluntary, self enforced ignorance is only slightly less evil, but at least an adult has a choice about being ignorant.

      --
      The USA is only 4X older than me...perspective
  2. I'm fine with this by DrXym · · Score: 5, Insightful
    As long as all their examination pupils forfeit the marks from those questions, and if the school's reputation suffers as it slips down the league table, and if the government withdraws all public funding from the school for failing to follow the national curriculum. So if a question was worth 30 out of 200 points then their students automatically lose 30 points, or 15%. Under no other circumstances should they be permitted to take an alternative exam, or pupils be graded for their remaining questions.

    And seriously what the fuck up with the UK and this stupid policy? They could learn a thing or two from the French on this - education should be secular. There should be no religious dress, no segregation by sexes, no exemptions from subjects on religious grounds, no indoctrination into religion and no pandering to the sensibilities of religion in any way shape or form. In the long term this will mean far less religious whackaloons which can only be a good thing.

  3. Re:He wouldn't be now. by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are religions where one of the central tenets is that the beliefs must adapt to advances in science.

    eg. Bahá'í

    They really do it, too. It's not just lip service.

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    No sig today...
  4. UK != US by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wait, so the school decides what questions they want on their exam, and people are complaining?

    Yes because in the UK the exams are not written by the schools but written by a central exam board so that the standard is consistent across the country. The same happens here in Alberta, Canada. By redacting the questions the school is preventing the students from being able to get any marks for those questions. I the exam board produced a paper where sufficient questions were "objectionable" then every pupil at that school would automatically fail the exam.

    While the exam board might be ok with it because it offers zero advantage to the students the school inspectors ought to be all over this since it is grossly unfair to the students and may prevent them getting into university. We already have laws which limit religious freedom when it comes to refusing medical treatment for children because it harms them and frankly we should have similar ones when it comes to science education for exactly the same reason.