Creationism must be kept out of class

SCMP Letters to the editor - (Feb 14, 2009)

I refer to the article 'Scientists urge excluding God from biology' (Education Post, February 7), criticising the Education Bureau's new biology curriculum guidelines on teaching evolution that encourage some schools to teach creationism.

The call of this group of local scientists for changing these misleading guidelines is timely on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin.

Science curriculums should contain only materials about science. Ideas of creationism in science education or these ideas disguised as intelligent design, originated in the US.

Hong Kong should be careful not to allow these fundamental religious ideas to pervade our science curriculum.

It is alarming to learn from the article that at least 30 aided schools in Hong Kong teach creationism as an alternative explanation for evolution in their biology lessons. Accordingly, what the Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority said about no exam questions being set in this area and no plan for such appeared to imply that the teaching of creationism in some Hong Kong schools has already become a fait accompli.

This must not be allowed to continue. I must reiterate what I said in my letter published in this newspaper 'Keep science and creationism apart' (April 22, 2007) that there is no place for creationism in science education.

The reason is simply that creationism is not science but a religious belief. As rightly pointed out by a leader in this newspaper (February 7), views such as creationism,

which are not science, should be taught in humanities but not in science lessons.

We must design a sound curriculum in the Hong Kong SAR for a science education of the highest standard. Any teaching of creationism in schools is unprofessional on the part of the science teachers and unfair to their students.

I call on all science educators and science teachers in Hong Kong to urge the Education Bureau to take immediate action to rectify the guidelines on teaching evolution.

TSUI CHI-YAN, Tuen Mun