Should Creationism be taught as part of the school science curriculum?

It has been suggested – especially by people of certain religious persuasions – that it is wrong to teach children that life on Earth came about as a result of Evolution, and that the science curriculum should therefore give at least equal billing to Creationism as a valid approach to explaining where all the animals – and people – came from. The current writer begs to differ!

Should Creationism be taught as part of the science curriculum?

One problem with this proposal is the word “taught”. To some people, “teach” is synonymous with “preach”, the implication being that approval is being given to a particular point of view and those being “taught” are expected to accept that point of view. Had the expression been “teach about”, more people would probably be inclined to accept the statement under discussion, although even that prospect is hardly a welcome one.

Another problem is “as part of the science curriculum”. The common perception is that whatever appears in a science curriculum is being presented as fact, not as theory, as opposed to courses in philosophy or religious studies where theories are discussed and examined more in terms of their logic and rigour. However, science is also very much involved in the world of theory. Scientific method, after all, is all about postulating a state of affairs and examining the evidence, then conducting experiments to see if the theory can be accepted as a basis of knowledge. Gravity is a theory, as is evolution! (Although there is also much confusion over what the word “theory” means)

That said, this writer still comes down on the No side of the debate, because the theory in question is not susceptible to the application of scientific method. There is no evidence that can be adduced in support of creationism, other than ancient myths and legends that have acquired a patina of religious faith. There are certainly no scientific experiments that could be conducted in schools to settle the matter one way or the other. Because creationism is so far outside the realms of scientific enquiry, it has no place in school science curricula.

Say No to pseudo-science!

Another reason for not including creationism in science lessons is that so doing would give it a status that it does not deserve. There are many “pseudo sciences” that might be thought worthy of inclusion on the curriculum by some people, but schools avoid them for the very reason that they are “pseudo”. For example, we do not teach astrology alongside astronomy, or alchemy as part of chemistry, with these being offered as potentially acceptable alternatives. However, this is precisely what is being expected of schools by those who advocate an “even handed” approach to creationism and evolution.

Science teaching should be about the theories and practices that have stood the test of time and form the basis of modern knowledge. We should not be confusing school students by suggesting that such ideas as creationism are equally valid, with the added implication that the evidence that supports Darwinian theory (and it is overwhelming) can be jettisoned if it does not accord with the beliefs of those who lead their lives based on literal Biblical interpretation.

If the question was “should creationism be included as a topic for discussion in school religious studies or philosophy classes”, then a Yes vote would be more appropriate.

© John Welford

My favourite teacher

Naming my favourite teacher? This is tricky – there are several to choose from. However, I think I have to go for John Bristow, who was the senior English teacher at Poole Grammar School during my time there between 1963 and 1971.

I always had favourite subjects – nothing unusual there – but history was a strong contender and I got on well with all the history teachers (I ending up marrying the daughter of one of them, but that’s another story!). The reason why I decided to study English at university, rather than history, must go down to the tuition and influence of John Bristow.

The thing about his teaching style was that there was nothing forced about it. He clearly enjoyed literature, and he passed that enjoyment on to his pupils. Apart from music, what other traditional school subject studies a form of entertainment? Much of what counts as “Eng Lit” was written with the intention of creating pleasurable feelings in those who receive it, but it is very easy for a teacher to forget that and make the study of literature into a chore. John Bristow was quite the opposite. As a result, I read literature these days for fun, including what people regard as the “classics”. 

My wife cannot understand why I like to analyse poems. She reckons that a poem should be read and appreciated for what it conveys as a first impression, and not pulled apart and have its entrails examined. That is because she did not have a teacher like John Bristow when she was at school. He made the analysis of poetry interesting and rewarding, because he was able to make a poem reveal so much more than a first reading can give. For me, close analysis increases enjoyment if done sensitively and carefully.

The other string to John Bristow’s bow was drama. I got involved with drama quite early at the Grammar School, and continued to perform in plays until I left. He was excellent at getting the best out of his cast by trusting them to get it right and by listening to their ideas as well as by imposing his own. Some directors are dictators and others are team leaders. I have come across both, both at school and later, and respond better to the latter approach although I appreciated that others might not agree.

He never seemed to get flustered, even when things went wrong. A play that I did not take part in (“Unman, Wittering and Zigo” by Giles Cooper) involved the set of a school classroom, with the desks raked upwards so that all the “pupils” were in the view of the audience. During one performance part of the set collapsed, with boys falling all over the place. I don’t know how he did it, but Mr Bristow somehow ensured that the show went on with hardly a pause.

John Bristow did have a few annoying habits, one of which was to smoke like a chimney during rehearsals and stuff the fag ends in his trouser turn-ups. What his wife thought about this is not on record, but can be imagined! 

He had the idea of doing a musical at some point, although it never happened during my time. He therefore developed the habit of accosting people at odd times during the school day and asking “can you sing?” As it happened, I could, so it was a bit disappointing that the proposed venture did not come off.

So there you are – John Bristow was my idea of a darned good teacher. He did it by not appearing to make any great effort. Perhaps his ability as an actor (he sometimes took parts in plays as well as directing them) meant that he could perform the role of a teacher without appearing to do so. He was just a “natural” who inspired by making people want to follow his example as a connoisseur of literature.

© John Welford

Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize winner

Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, at the age of 17. Apart from being the youngest ever recipient of the prize, she is surely one of the most deserving.

Malala Yousafzai

The Nobel Committee awarded the 2014 Peace Prize jointly to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people". The latter name is probably not all that well known, but he is certainly a deserving recipient for his lifetime’s work in raising awareness of the problem of child labour, particularly in his native India.

However, the headlines for Malala are also well deserved. This is a young girl who, at the age of 12, was boarding a bus to go to school in her home province of Swat in Pakistan when a Taliban gunman fired three shots at her, one of which hit her in the head.

Malala survived and made a near-complete recovery, largely thanks to the sterling efforts of surgeons at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England. The deliberate attack on her led to worldwide condemnation of her attackers, not least for their desire to murder a young girl simply because she was determined to go to school and was campaigning locally for the right to be educated to be extended to all girls.

The Taliban continued to threaten Malala and her family, who were subsequently given permanent residence in the United Kingdom.

Since her recovery, Malala has campaigned ceaselessly for the right of all children, everywhere, to be given a proper education. She has been given platforms to speak in countries all over the world, been feted by Presidents and Premiers, and on 12^th July 2013 addressed a session of the United Nations.

She is undoubtedly the world’s most famous teenager, having been included on lists of the “world’s most influential people”. She has received honours and plaudits from many countries, but she is probably most happy about the fact that the government of her native country has now introduced legislation in favour of girls’ education.

Few people would deny that she thoroughly deserved the Nobel Peace Prize – not for being a victim but for refusing to be bowed by her experience and indeed going much, much further in her unstinted campaign to achieve justice for young people. As a highly articulate young woman who speaks her mind and “tells it how it is” she is someone who is listened to and is making a real difference as well as setting a positive example that others are following.  

© John Welford

Field trips for learning history

It might be thought that the best history field trips will be to places where something important happened and where there is plenty of information to be gathered about that event. That is certainly part of the story, but not all of it. Field trips can be made that may not appear at the outset to be particularly interesting, but which can offer a great deal to the learner of history.

The current author was very lucky to be brought up in a part of southern England where history virtually oozed from everywhere around. The field trips he made, both from school and as part of a family group, were very educational and formed a major part of his understanding of the past.

Sites that could be visited in the locality of Wiltshire and Dorset included Stonehenge and Maiden Castle, both of which have world importance as monuments to the distant past, but they were only the tip of a vast historical “iceberg”, given that the legacy from the past in that region includes such things as Stone Age circles and long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age hill forts, and Roman roads and villas. Many of these remains are not set apart as “sites” to be visited in a formal way, with a fee to be paid and a set path to follow, but are just there to be seen at the side of the road or after a short walk.

School trips 

Field trips may be organised by a child’s school or can be undertaken independently under parental guidance. If the latter, the parent may need to do a bit of preparation before the trip is made so that he or she can answer at least some of the questions that will be forthcoming. An alternative is to tag along with any formal school group that may be visiting at the same time, so that the child can overhear what the other children are being told by their teacher or a local expert. However, this should be done discretely, and it might be wise to ask for permission before so doing.

However, the independent field-tripper has the advantage of not being tied down to the schedule of a school party. He or she can explore the site as he or she wishes, and the trip should be organised as an event that encourages play and discovery as opposed to being nothing but instruction.

The author once accompanied his son on a school field trip that ran late, such that the time for exploration had to be sacrificed to allow for the formal lesson that had been planned in advance. All the children did was pour off the bus, go straight into a classroom where they were duly lectured about what was on the site, and then have about 15 minutes to eat their sandwiches before being ushered back on to the bus for the return journey. They might as well not have made the trip at all! A child without these constraints would have been able to spend the time exploring and discovering, with all the formal stuff catered for by some judicious Web surfing afterwards, or maybe reading the guidebook bought at the gift shop before leaving.

Castles and battlefields

Sites that always excite children, of virtually any age, are castles and battlefields. Many castles in the United Kingdom can trace their origin back to Norman times, and their story is long and complicated, with many changes and additions being made down the centuries. Children love exploring passageways and stairs, especially if these lead to unexpected places. Many castles are partially ruined, which gives plenty of scope for imagination as to how the buildings would have looked in the past.

Castles are ideal for exploration by parent-led children because a formal school group is often too large for the children to be able to get to grips with what they are seeing. A teacher may be able to point out something interesting to the two or three children closest at hand, but his or her words will be lost to those who are several turns down the spiral staircase!

It is often worth checking in advance to see if there is a special event being planned at a castle, because these are often extremely valuable in educational terms. A reconstruction of an event that took place at the castle, or displays by re-enactment groups of how people lived in the past, bring history to life in a way that cannot be bettered.

Battlefield sites enable children to see exactly where the events that shaped history took place, and they can visualise what happened by relating the landscape to the history. Many such sites have been preserved, not just in the United Kingdom but many other countries, and nothing beats witnessing a re-enactment of a battle, with authentic uniforms and weapons, in the place where it was fought hundreds of years ago.

Archaeology

History can be learned in all sorts of ways, and it is not necessarily the history of great people and events. For example, if an archaeological dig is taking place locally it might be worth asking if one’s child could visit and even take a small part in the process of historical discovery.

In 2009 the villagers of Kibworth, near Leicester, took part in a project to discover more about their history by digging trenches in their own back gardens, over a single weekend, the results being coordinated and plotted. A total of 55 pits were dug at locations throughout the area. The finds included items that had been lost and discarded by their predecessors centuries before, such as coins and pieces of pottery, and this single exercise enabled local historians to get a very good picture of how people lived in the past, such as where they farmed and had their dwellings.

The Kibworth experiment was notable for the huge interest shown by people of all ages, including children, who then became keen to learn more about the history of their village. A history field trip need take one no further than one’s own back garden!

Urban field trips

Urban dwellers need not feel deprived in terms of field trips. The city landscape is full of evidence of how lives were lived in past centuries. There is much to be learned from looking at both public buildings and private dwellings. For example, it was the custom in past times to place dates on houses, and from this one can plot how a town or city grew and which areas would have been populated before others. There are clues to how people earned their livings, such as the large upper-storey windows that allowed home-based weavers enough light to do their work.

Statues and commemorative plaques are worth looking out for, as these tell stories about the people who lived here and were thought important enough to be honoured.

Ecclesiastical buildings offer field trips in their own right, as their growth and decline are evidence of how populations have developed. Churchyards and cemeteries can tell all sorts of stories, such as indicating the life-spans of past generations, showing what size families tended to be, and the incidence of infant mortality. A mass grave may tell a story about a disaster that befell a community, such as a cholera outbreak or a mining accident.

The transport infrastructure, in both urban and rural settings, is another source of historical evidence that can be explored. Street patterns, and names, can provide a lot of information about past lives and the shapes of communities, as can the routes of railways and canals, whether or not they are still in use.

In short, the landscape and the changes made to it by mankind are an abiding and available source of historical information that is waiting to be discovered by the possessors of enquiring minds. What counts as “best” in terms of historical field trips must depend on local circumstances and the period of history under study.

© John Welford