- Oct 17, 2011
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Last year, the Open Brethren organisation Christian Community Ministries (CCM) hosted a Christian science conference by the US-based fundamentalist group Answers in Genesis, which once built a replica of Noah’s Ark – with model dinosaurs included.
Some Queensland science and humanities teachers working at CCM – which operates 15 schools around Australia – were told it was compulsory to attend the event.
Those present say [AIG Director of Research] Snelling told them the radiometric dating techniques used by mainstream scientists to show fossils and rocks are millions of years old were flawed. He said the Himalayas were formed by the “great flood”, and that juvenile vegetarian dinosaurs had been on the ark.
Those who raised concerns with Guardian Australia made clear they did not object to faith-based schools teaching religious doctrine; their concern was that schools had a responsibility to educate children based on the curriculum.
Faith-based schools in Queensland are required to teach the approved syllabus.
Prof David Geelan, the president of the Science Teachers’ Association of Queensland, said the science curriculum explicitly introduces the theory of evolution to students from year 10.
The chief executive of Christian Community Ministries, John Lyndon, said the organisation’s schools teach “the full requirements of the Australian curriculum”, including the theory of evolution.
Some Queensland science and humanities teachers working at CCM – which operates 15 schools around Australia – were told it was compulsory to attend the event.
Those present say [AIG Director of Research] Snelling told them the radiometric dating techniques used by mainstream scientists to show fossils and rocks are millions of years old were flawed. He said the Himalayas were formed by the “great flood”, and that juvenile vegetarian dinosaurs had been on the ark.
Those who raised concerns with Guardian Australia made clear they did not object to faith-based schools teaching religious doctrine; their concern was that schools had a responsibility to educate children based on the curriculum.
Faith-based schools in Queensland are required to teach the approved syllabus.
Prof David Geelan, the president of the Science Teachers’ Association of Queensland, said the science curriculum explicitly introduces the theory of evolution to students from year 10.
The chief executive of Christian Community Ministries, John Lyndon, said the organisation’s schools teach “the full requirements of the Australian curriculum”, including the theory of evolution.
