Intelligent Design (What should be taught in schools?)

by Carl, Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 18:22 (5944 days ago) @ rightarmover

rightarmover says "I'd be intrigued to discover the views on others on the role of religion in our schools".
In the US, we have the American Civil Liberties Union as a watchdog to be sure that not the slightest taint of religion enters our public schools, since our Supreme Court has ruled it violates the constitution. If a parent chooses to pay, they can send their child to any private religious school they choose. Then there is no control over religious content at all, but there can also be no public funds spent on the school. This offends parents using religious schools, because they must pay public school taxes, whether they use the schools or not. There is a movement afoot amongst the conservatives to grant vouchers from public funds for parents to use in paying private schools. I was totally unaware of the situation that rightarmover described for UK. Now I understand better some of the comments made by Dawkins and others in this regard. I endorse the US approach.
I reluctantly conclude that the religious education of children should be left to their parents, since the alternative (state dictated religious education) is so repugnant. I sympathize with Dawkins point that religious rearing of children is little short of brainwashing, and that it is difficult to arrive at a secular society with religious dogma inculcated from birth forward. But the alternative of having government dictate religious teaching is unacceptable. I think the best solution is to be sure that reality based information is taught in our schools and trust the common sense of the populace to choose reality.