Creationism v science: school on report

Anna Patty Education Editor

November 25, 2008

THE state school registration and curriculum authority has investigated the teaching of creation theory in science classes at a Christian school.

The Board of Studies responded to a complaint about Pacific Hills Christian School in Dural and will hand down its findings early next month.

The general manager of the board, John Bennett, told a budget estimates committee last week that the school was under investigation for "teaching creationism in science classes".

A spokeswoman for the board said it had acted on a complaint that the school had not properly followed its requirements for teaching the science syllabus.

The board referred the complaint to Christian Schools Australia, asking it to investigate.

The board also accepted the school's invitation to inspect its teaching and learning activities.

The board spokeswoman said its curriculum director was given a user name and password for the school's intranet, which allowed him to review the curriculum. He also attended several science classes and observed student work on evolution.

"Our inspector reviewed the school's educational programs for science, including student work samples and the assessment tasks set for years 7-10 science and year 11 biology classes," the board spokeswoman said. "The Christian Schools Australia investigation and report have been received and the board's own processes are close to completion.

"The matter will be finalised and the outcome communicated to the school and the complainant within the next two weeks."

The head of Christian Schools Australia, Stephen O'Doherty, said his organisation had found no reason for Pacific Christian School to lose its registration. "The whole thing is a complete furphy," he said. The school did not teach intelligent design or "creationism" - creation as scientific theory. He said the school had met the Board of Studies syllabus requirements in teaching evolution theory as science.

"It doesn't breach Darwinian theory to ask who set up the world to work in this way or even to say who was there before the big bang," he said. "We are not arguing for the ability to replace science with some other theory."

Chris Bonnor, the former head of the NSW Secondary Schools Principals Council, made the original complaint about Pacific Hills after viewing a television clip that briefly showed how a science class was taught.

He said he did not believe the school had implemented the Board of Studies science syllabus in its teaching of evolution.

"The science lesson in the school was not balanced," Mr Bonnor said. "It is fine to teach God behind evolution, but not in a science class.

"Notwithstanding the integrity of the organisation, I would question whether Christian Schools Australia is the appropriate body to investigate a complaint of this nature for the body that frames the syllabus."

Mr O'Doherty said Mr Bonnor was "whistling in the wind".

"The school does not teach creation as science or intelligent design," he said. "When they talk about faith-based perspectives on creation they tell students that it is not part of syllabus.

"We invited Mr Bonnor to look at the teacher programs and to look at the documentation and he declined."

A state Greens MP, John Kaye, said no private school in NSW had been disciplined for "pushing creationist propaganda in science classes".

"That's not surprising given that the board handed over its only investigation to Christian Schools Australia," he said. "The fox has been put in charge of the hen house."

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