The UK really doesn't deserve this: first, they're dragged into Iraq, and now, they're being invaded by creationists. Even though the Department for Education and Skills has called creationism "not appropriate to support the science curriculum", many science teachers may be using Discovery Institute designed 'science' curricula. From the Guardian:
Dozens of schools are using creationist teaching materials condemned by the government as "not appropriate to support the science curriculum", the Guardian has learned.The packs promote the creationist alternative to Darwinian evolution called intelligent design and the group behind them said 59 schools are using the information as "a useful classroom resource"....
The teaching pack, which includes two DVDs and a manual, was sent to the head of science at all secondary schools in the country on September 18 by the group Truth in Science. The enclosed feedback postcard was returned by 89 schools. As well as 59 positive responses, 15 were negative or dismissive....
The DVDs were produced in America and feature figures linked to the Discovery Institute in Seattle, a thinktank that has made concerted efforts to promote ID and insert it into high school science lessons in the US. Last year a judge in Dover, Pennsylvania, ruled that ID could not be taught in science lessons. "Intelligent design is a religious view, a mere relabelling of creationism, and not a scientific theory," he wrote in his judgment.
Many of the arguments are the same such as 'only teaching critiques of Darwinism', and all of the other crap that's been heard before in the U.S. But this quote by a 'Truth in Science' supporter is hysterical:
Andy McIntosh, a professor of thermodynamics at the University of Leeds who is on the board of Truth in Science, said: "We are just simply a group of people who have put together ... a different case."
Yes, if by different you mean 'not testable' or 'flies in the face of multiple lines of evidence, including disciplines outside of biology', then I suppose you have a "different case."
The Brits really don't deserve this...
note to creationist trolls: It is not my job to summarize all of the scientific evidence for the theories of common descent and natural selection. Dozens, if not hundreds of books, have dealt with various aspects of this subject. PZ has put together a nice list. Strap on the ol' thinkin' cap, and figure it out. (And remember, use the thinking cap, not the dogma spewing cap.)
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Some of us Brits have been mailing our MPs about these jokers, with mixed success, and the attitude of our PM (see toward the end of this interview with New Scientist) is the major worry.
That said, I'm not sure what to make of the Guardian story; the only teacher that they quote has form, and they don't cite (even anonymously) any other schools or teachers.
Britain is just getting pay back for centuries of world domination.
What goes around, comes around.
Fortunately, Dawkins has given us the Brites!
As gengar says there has been a huge backlash against these teaching materials already and many MPs (mine included) are quite vocal in their opposition to ID/creationism in science classes.
Another thing to note is that 59 secondary schools isn't that bad when there are something like 4,500 altogether in the UK. 1.5% of schools holding on to these materials as a useful resource (hey, some of them might even be using them to show how idiotic creationism is!) isn't too bad as long as we can stop the rot there.