Banning of creationism education

Gee whiz, I wonder if anyone would say that the Swedish government are not a democratic society because they banned the expression of "free speech" in their textbooks. This is a report on the internet (here) in which creationism is going to be banned from Swedish schools, probably as a reaction to the religious fundamentalists out there who wants to bring civilization as we know it back to the dark ages. I am not sure of our education policies here, but this is one thing that I would like to see banned from our schools as well. It probably is, and so I guess people like Chee Soon Juan (whom I heard has a religious view that is way skewed towards the right) would cry foul over the fact that the government are indoctrinating our kids.

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Creationism to be banished from Swedish schools

Published: 15th October 2007 07:57

The Swedish government is to crack down on the role religion plays in independent faith schools. The new rules will include a ban on biology teachers teaching creationism or 'intelligent design' alongside evolution.

"Pupils must be protected from all forms of fundamentalism," said Education Minister Jan Björklund to Dagens Nyheter.

Some Christian schools teach biology students that the world and the organisms on it were created by a supreme being. This is often presented as another valid scientific theory alongside evolution - something most scientists reject.

Religious Education will remain on the curriculum and it will still be allowed to start the school day with prayers. But in classes teachers will be expected to stick to the curriculum.

"End-of-term services in school are great," he said, and added that religious education would remain a school subject. But all elements of religious worship would have to be completely separate from class teaching.

Most independent schools in Sweden are privately owned but funded by government grants.

Björklund also said the Swedish National Agency for Education would double the number of inspections of both council-run and independent schools. He also announced a ban on anonymous financial donations to schools and said he would make it easier to close schools that were breaking the rules.

The stricter rules will be introduced in next year's education act.