To think this person should not be a biology teacher?

[baublegirl454]

My son is yr 8, and had had concerns about his biology teacher for a while. She has often been totally unprepared for their lessons so they are told to just read from their textbooks, she can't use the whiteboard & often sets incomprehensible homework or on subjects that they haven't studied yet. She is new, so we hoped these were just teething issues and would improve. Howe er, DS came home on Friday and announced that she has said that she doesn't believe in Evolution and (I quote) 'I don't believe an explosion (I.e. The Big Bang) could create a house'
WTF????
Would we be unreasonable to approach the school about this?!

Sorry Doctor Donna x post I see we seem to be largely in agreement.

Hooray!

Creationists tend to seize on the fact that evolution is described as a theory to depict it as something slightly flaky and unproved, although they must be well aware that that is not what it means. We describe gravity as a theory, but I don't think anyone seriously contends that it does not exist.

Yup, always point out the different definitions of the word theory when discussing science and religion in RS lessons.

Donna , in 2011, CrISIS Creationism in Schools isn't Science was a campaign by the British Centre for Scientific Education but very much supported by both religious leaders and the scientific community to ensure young earth creationism did not creep into schools. Bishops , religious leaders and people like Richard Dawkins and Jim Al-Khalil All signed an open letter. They result was a clarification in the gov guidance that creationism could not be presented as a science in any lesson not just science lessons and the clause in the academy and free school contract. Seems there is still more work to do

Derxa - I assume it's an interactive whiteboard. I do too. I've never come across a teacher who can't use one.

Mega I don't think the majority of the population know the difference between scientific theorem and "theory" .

A teacher who doesn't understand at the most basic level what theory and evidence mean shouldn't be teaching the subject of science.

Derxa - you have now. I can't. We don't have them in my department. We didn't in my last school either. I've been teaching since 2002.

She shared her opinion, she didn't ram her belief down your ds throat!

You can't teach one theory without mentioning the other, and naturally kids will ask/talk about them.

Such OTT reactions!

Your misunderstanding the use of theory here. It has two meanings. Evolution is pope-approved and, more importantly, scientific fact. Young Earth Creationism is not.

Eh you can teach one theory in science class without mentioning the other. When my 4 year old asks what the moon is I can say the moon, without mentioning that the ancients Greeks thought it was a goddess.

Big Bang theory is often disputed by reputable scientists.

What? No it isn't. If you're talking about the universe starting from a singularity or the exact nature of inflationary expansion then that is disputed but that isn't what the big bang theory describes (just that the universe was once very hot and dense, and has expanded since then).

You can't teach one theory without mentioning the other

But instead of trying to give them equal weight, they should be more along the line of 'they used to.....hahahaha.....think that.....hahahaha a supernatural woo made the world ........hahahahaha, and now we hypothesise that the universe was created by rapid expansion, although scientists are still trying to figure out how exactly so no children god did it isnt a good answer on your homework' thats how they should be mentioned together

She shared her opinion, she didn't ram her belief down your ds throat!

In a science lesson it's only appropriate to address these issues scientifically. There is no scientific basis for her opinion so as a science teacher she should keep it to herself during lesson time.

just that the universe was once very hot and dense, and has expanded since then

Exactly

A hot and dense infinite universe is still expanding into infinity the trouble we have had as humans is trying to fit infinity in our heads lol

Surely in a science class one gets taught science and in a religious education class, one is taught religion. Admittedly, I left school nearly 30 years ago but I do not ever remember being taught creationism or have it discussed alongside science in a science class.

I quit my physics a-level because I had a teacher who was completely unqualified to teach physics (and the second one didn't like girls in his physics class) - he was later sacked, as was the Head who hired him (they were related) - he also just had us read from the textbook, and set nonsensical homework.

It was before interactive whiteboards.. my mum's a teacher, when they brought the boards in, they all had an inset day to learn how to use them - but surely if she's newly qualified she'd have encountered them before.

In the late 19th and 20th century scientific fact, logical thought, education were all seen as values to be applauded.

We are now going backwards into a new dark ages. Whilst there is always room for spirituality and religious belief I think we are descending into intolerance, lazy thinking, lack of enquiry, acquiescence and just dumbness!

I'm not sure, haven't looked at it for a while, but this teacher might be going against our code of conduct.

She should be fired for shit analogies if nothing else....if houses were the product of natural processes they would be massively more energy efficient for one thing.

If Queen is actually in Louisiana she may well have no choice.

If this teacher is an NQT in a UK school my main concern would be with the teaching you describe - what coaching and supervision is she getting? If the teaching was well organised and the comment casual then it would probably have gone down as weird-teacher-shit. Secondary school kids are plenty old enough to recognise this. If she is pitching creationism as equal weight in a UK school then she is teaching the wrong subject.

However quite apart from faith/nofaith there is a place to discuss Creationism /Lamarckism and other historic ideas of Big Bang and evolution of life. It is probably the most well known example of the development of scientific thought, incorporating new evidence over time and how scientific theories should be reviewed and scrutinised regularly.

The public lack of understanding that theories develop as new evidence comes along enables endless drivel from the media about 'scientists changing their minds'.

I'd get in touch with the school - probably with head of department - and list concerns and mention the creationism talk.

I do worry it's making it's way into schools. One of my primary aged children in a normal state school was taken on a trip to a creationist zoo. Didn't realised till very late - then assurances we were given by the school turned out to be rubbish - they were taught some very dubious facts - they came out with then later.

I had to buy child friend evolution explanation books, buy and record some BBC science programs about evolution with David Attenborough - Horrible Histories Darwin song made a impression as well. All my children understand the evidence quite well now - which I suppose is the silver lining.

I'd also check she was a qualified biology teacher - my Yr7 being taught by quiet a few teachers who aren't teaching in their field - which is worrying.

I'd also check she was a qualified biology teacher - my Yr7 being taught by quiet a few teachers who aren't teaching in their field - which is worrying.

Most schools will have science teachers teaching general science up to year 9 (some up to GCSE). If she's being taught year seven biology by a physics or chemistry specialist that really isn't anything to worry about.