As someone who went to a Catholic H.S. I can assure you that creationism was not taught in science class and that you got the same curriculum in biology, chemistry, and physics courses as you would get anywhere else.
And? He's talking, quite openly and clearly, about giving government funding to schools that have no such distinction and no such scruples, and he's doing so in the context to teaching "alternatives" to evolution.
This means he's talking about provincial funding for creationism in science class, which makes him a poop-eater and terminally stupid.
(Question: Are there *non*-terminally stupid politicians, at the provincial level? I'm having serious trouble coming up with any, from Harris to Rae to Klein and back again.)
And that's one of the big reasons why I'm only a little uncomfortable with the publicly funded catholic highschools in this province... The schools are good, it's just really freeking weird that the government is allowed to get mixed up in religion like that.
The problem isn't your school. It's the ones that DO teach Creationism in science class that are the problem.
I believe I saw (scanning quickly admittedly) that part of the reason he wants to offer the opt-in to public system is to have some form of standards and regulation.
To me it's a bit like legalizing pot. If something is legal and sanctioned and subject to regulations, it is possibly better than if it is left totally separate and self-regulated.
In other words, the point is not to give schools money to teach fundamentalist X, it's to give school boards devoted to religion X money to not be that way, to assimilate them into the mainstream. At least that's my read.
I do find it interesting that a Tory (heh) is advocating this kind of thing, since usually they would be more likely to say "You want to pay for shit and leave the government out of it? Great!".
I believe either all or nothing. Either you fund no religious schools, or you let me open up a school of the jedi where we spend a class contemplating the movies.
I'd find it much simpler, and cheaper, to simply "revoke the accreditation" of all private schools. Oh, sure, you graduated from Baptist High, but since it's not part of the provincial school board, the province refuses to recognise or certify it as a valid diploma.
And then provide a process by which private schools and private school boards can *become* accredited, at their own expense. Public funding goes to public schools, private funding goes to private schools, As God Intended, Forever And Ever, World Without End.
But, then, however impractical it may be, I'd really rather see no religious school boards at all. This position tends to colour my off-the-cuff solutions to budgetary problems, I think.
Funding religious schools is fine; the issue is, if you're going to fund one, then you fund any religious school that can prove it's providing a valid curriculum, and yes, the government can and does make judgments on what is valid. If your school doesn't teach English or French or Geography up to provincial standards, it doesn't get funding. The same applies for science.
I grew up in the Catholic school system, and I got taught evolution in science class; I got taught the bible (including creationist theory) in bible studies class. I like to think I came out of it with a pretty decent education all around, even if I didn't come out of it Catholic.
'Equal treatment' does not mean 'special treatment'. If the Catholic schools are required to teach a science curriculum that includes evolution in order to receive public funds, then requiring a Muslim school to do the same is not discrimination.
He backpeddled, and said that it wouldn't be allowed in science class, only religion class. Same class where it's already ok to say that the invisible creator of the universe makes burning bushes to talk to people.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 08:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 08:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 08:31 pm (UTC)This means he's talking about provincial funding for creationism in science class, which makes him a poop-eater and terminally stupid.
(Question: Are there *non*-terminally stupid politicians, at the provincial level? I'm having serious trouble coming up with any, from Harris to Rae to Klein and back again.)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 08:56 pm (UTC)The problem isn't your school. It's the ones that DO teach Creationism in science class that are the problem.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 08:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 09:43 pm (UTC)To me it's a bit like legalizing pot. If something is legal and sanctioned and subject to regulations, it is possibly better than if it is left totally separate and self-regulated.
In other words, the point is not to give schools money to teach fundamentalist X, it's to give school boards devoted to religion X money to not be that way, to assimilate them into the mainstream. At least that's my read.
I do find it interesting that a Tory (heh) is advocating this kind of thing, since usually they would be more likely to say "You want to pay for shit and leave the government out of it? Great!".
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 09:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 10:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-05 11:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-06 12:10 am (UTC)And then provide a process by which private schools and private school boards can *become* accredited, at their own expense. Public funding goes to public schools, private funding goes to private schools, As God Intended, Forever And Ever, World Without End.
But, then, however impractical it may be, I'd really rather see no religious school boards at all. This position tends to colour my off-the-cuff solutions to budgetary problems, I think.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-06 03:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-06 02:09 pm (UTC)I grew up in the Catholic school system, and I got taught evolution in science class; I got taught the bible (including creationist theory) in bible studies class. I like to think I came out of it with a pretty decent education all around, even if I didn't come out of it Catholic.
'Equal treatment' does not mean 'special treatment'. If the Catholic schools are required to teach a science curriculum that includes evolution in order to receive public funds, then requiring a Muslim school to do the same is not discrimination.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-06 04:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-06 05:30 pm (UTC)