Dawkins campaigns to keep God out of classroom

Dawkins campaigns to keep God out of classroom
Alexandra Smith Monday
November 27, 2006EducationGuardian.co.uk

Oxford's campaigning atheist Richard Dawkins. Photograph: Guardian/Graham Turner
The University of Oxford geneticist and campaigning atheist Richard Dawkins has established a foundation to keep God out of the classroom and prevent "pseudo science" taking over in schools, it emerged today.

The new Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason will subsidise books, pamphlets and DVDs for teachers to fight what the professor describes as the "educational scandal" that has seen the rise of "irrational ideas".

His foundation will also conduct research into what makes some people more susceptible to religious ideas than others and whether these people are particularly vulnerable.

Prof Dawkins' renewed push to counter what he perceives to be the religious indoctrination of young people comes amid revelations that dozens of schools are using teaching materials in science lessons that promote the creationist alternative to Darwinian evolution, condemned by the government as "not appropriate to support the science curriculum".

The packs promote the theory of intelligent design and the group behind them, Truth in Science, said 59 schools are using the information as "a useful classroom resource".

The group sent the teaching pack to the head of science at all secondary schools in England on September 18. To date, 89 schools have returned the enclosed feedback postcard - 59 were positive, 15 negative or dismissive and 15 said the material was "not suitable".

Richard Buggs, a member of Truth in Science, said the group was not attacking the teaching of Darwinian theory. "We are just saying that criticisms of Darwin's theory should also be taught," he said.

"Intelligent design looks at empirical evidence in the natural world and says, 'this is evidence for a designer'. If you go any further the argument does become religious and intelligent design does have religious implications."

However, the government has made it clear that "neither intelligent design nor creationism are recognised scientific theories".

Prof Dawkins, Oxford's professor of the public understanding of science, is the author of several bestselling books extolling evolution, such as The Selfish Gene. His latest book, The God Delusion, is a sustained polemic against religious faith.

He has established foundations in both Britain and the US and is now applying for charitable status. They were founded in response to what he calls the "organised ignorance" that is promoting creationism, the belief that the Biblical account of the origins of man is true.

Another challenge to Darwinian theory comes in the form of intelligent design, the suggestion that life is the result of a guiding force rather than pure evolutionary natural selection.

Prof Dawkins said: "The enlightenment is under threat. So is reason. So is truth. So is science, especially in the schools of America. I am one of those scientists who feels that it is no longer enough just to get on and do science. We have to devote a significant proportion of our time and resources to defending it from deliberate attack from organised ignorance."

He also plans to campaign against children being labelled with the religion of their parents. "It is immoral to brand children with religion," he said. "This is a Catholic child. That is a Muslim child. I want everyone to flinch when they hear such a phrase, just as they would if they heard that is a Marxist child."

Prof Dawkins' views have sparked criticism from academics, religious leaders and fellow scientists. The Church of England described them as "disturbing", while others complained that Prof Dawkins' foundation bore the "whiff of a campaigning organisation" rather than a charity".

John Hall, dean of Westminster and the Church of England's education officer, told the Independent today: "He is clearly looking for a fight. His clear intention is to push his view that religion is dangerous and that to bring up a child in their parents' beliefs is a form of abuse.

Obviously I am concerned about that. There are good grounds for thinking that this would just be a charitable vehicle for pushing Richard Dawkins' views."