The thin edge of the wedge (the name of the strategy being actively used by the anti-reality, anti-science, and pro-creationism thinkignorancetank The Discovery Institute) has left its mark in the Queensland department of education.  Creationism has wormed its way in to Queensland classrooms.

On a positive note, the mythology of creationism hasn’t found its way in to science classes as it has in numerous states in America, but the fact it found its way in at all is still bad.  In Queensland it will be taught in History class under the subject of “controversial issues”.

Queensland History Teachers’ Association head Kay Bishop said the curriculum asked students to develop their historical skills in an “investigation of a controversial issue” such as “human origins (eg, Darwin’s theory of evolution and its critics”).

What creationism/evolution has to do with history I honestly don’t know. If the topic was creation mythos vs archaeology I could understand, but evolution?  They may as well be teaching it in math class for all the relevance it has.  This reads as though it is directly out of The Discovery Institutes strategy guide.

Associated Christian Schools executive officer Lynne Doneley welcomed the draft curriculum, saying it cemented the position of a faith-based approach to teaching.

It’s a shame it does nothing to support a reality-based approach.  Teaching fiction/mythology as reality is damaging.  It’s that simple.  This is abhorrent and needs to be stopped.

“We talk to students from a faith science basis, but we’re not biased in the delivery of curriculum,” Mrs Doneley said. “We say, ‘This is where we’re coming from’ but allow students to make up their own minds.”

“make up their own minds” is a favourite line of the anti-reality conspiracy theorists.  It’s used repeatedly by creationists, republican history revisionists, anti-vaxxers, alt-medders.  You name it, if it’s a group that doesn’t have facts, evidence and science to back up their claims they’ll come in with “just teach/inform both and let the students/mothers/people make up their own minds”.

I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way.  The point of schools is to inform kids, not misinform them.  Providing someone with information and misinformation with both being given equal footing then letting them make up their own minds doesn’t help anybody.

To steal a line from Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer …