Statement on science teaching and creationism

Science is the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the natural world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. Essential elements of that methodology are critical analysis of theories, the reliance on experiment and/or observation as the benchmarks for testing hypotheses and the willingness to change a point of view in the light of evidence to the contrary. It follows, therefore, that any process, theoretical framework or world view that does not satisfy these criteria should not be taught as part of any science lesson. Particular caution should be exercised when the world view promoted actually contradicts the available evidence. For example, topics such as young-Earth creationism and astrology fall into this category.

There will inevitably be cases where a pupil raises topics such as creationism etc. Under these circumstances, a good science teacher may choose to use the question to illustrate why the particular theory is not scientific. The guidance issued by the DCSF http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11890 provides helpful advice. However, while a teacher should always respect a pupil’s views, the teacher should not give the impression that, in the domain where scientific theories are applicable, non-scientific theories are acceptable alternatives.

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