>>I have kids at school, one in grade six and one in year ten, they hate humanities, it's seen by the kids as a waste of time and they learn nothing of value from the units.<<

It might just be their teachers, or the way it is taught. I didn't like my humanities lessons at high school but I liked doing my citizenship badges in Scouts... maybe we should have Scout Leaders teaching civics?

>> but their admitted agenda to "Westernise" the curriculum. In other words, to reinstate the old time educational political correctness from the 50s curriculum where multiculturalism, migration, diversity and a full and frank account of aboriginal history are pushed way into the background, almost as if they don't exist. Pyne and co. want a European centric Westernisation view of Australia's history to predominate, and it's accompanying Judeo/Christian version of Australia's history. Pyne has already admitted that he will be forced to give at least what I describe as "token" acknowledgement of the truthful Aboriginal history. But that's all we'll get from him -- "token". <<

I'm not convinced it matter so much what they teach, as how they teach it. Modern Western history contains the single best of example of why intolerance is bad, mmkay: the Shoah. Chuck in some Apartheid history and some Abolition history. Kids will quickly get the message that when one section of society comes to view another section as sub-human, atrocities will inevitably follow. It's not quantum electrodynamics. It's not even rocket surgery.

Cheers,

Tony

I did think twice before approving this post, but if I can approve posts on UFOs by Arjay, I guess this one can pass as well.

It's an extraordinary caricature of what Christopher Pyne and the Abbott government stand for. First there is this assumption that they are creationists. What's the basis for this? Well, they're Christians, so apparently that's QED. In fact Pyne, Hockey and Abbott, are all Catholics, educated by the Jesuits.

So is Barnaby Joyce (despite being described by the poster as a "radically conservative religious fundamentalist"). A-G Brandis isn't mentioned, but he's Catholic too, but educated by Augustinian priests.

The Catholic Church endorses evolution, and I'd be shocked if there is anyone in the cabinet who believes God created the world in 6 days. Certainly you wouldn't find that taught in any Jesuit school. You certainly won't find it taught in an Augustinian school - it was an Augustinian, Gregor Mendel, who discovered genetics.

Second, no-one is talking about introducing additional religious instruction into schools. Donnelly is on the record talking about increased knowledge of the world's religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism and Hinduism, not just Christianity.

The current curriculum mandates knowledge of Aboriginal spirituality and culture, so why not everyone else's?

It appears to me that this poster is strongly bigoted against Christians and is using this as an opportunity to vent his spleen.

>>I did think twice before approving this post<<

Why?

>>It's an extraordinary caricature of what Christopher Pyne and the Abbott government stand for. First there is this assumption that they are creationists. What's the basis for this? Well, they're Christians, so apparently that's QED. In fact Pyne, Hockey and Abbott, are all Catholics, educated by the Jesuits.<<

I've not mentioned Catholics. Or Jesuits, Augustinians, Franciscans, Benedictines or any of the other Catholic monastic or mendicant orders.

>>The Catholic Church endorses evolution, and I'd be shocked if there is anyone in the cabinet who believes God created the world in 6 days. Certainly you wouldn't find that taught in any Jesuit school. You certainly won't find it taught in an Augustinian school - it was an Augustinian, Gregor Mendel, who discovered genetics.<<

The Vatican Observatory, staffed by Jesuit priests, is in fact a very strong pro-science voice in the tiresome and pointless debate between science and religion. You won't find it taught in many schools but it was actually a Jesuit Priest, Georges Lemaitre, who first proposed the 'Big Bang' theory: his preliminary work was tidied up by other physicists who stole his glory.

>>It appears to me that this poster is strongly bigoted against Christians and is using this as an opportunity to vent his spleen.<<

It seems to me that you're reading much into my posts that isn't there. What's up with that?

Cheers,

Tony

Not talking about your post Tony. And thanks for the information on the Big Bang theory. I was referring to the original post. I think we probably agree on the likelihood of the government introducing creationism into schools - zero.

>>Not talking about your post Tony.<<

Sorry, mate.

>>I think we probably agree on the likelihood of the government introducing creationism into schools - zero.<<

It does seem unlikely: in all but the kookiest of kooky religious schools they'd never get it past the parents.

Cheers,

Tony

might not be taught by the god deniers however it is a thousand times more rational than evolution (whichever version they are up to).