ANY school in NZ teaching children Creationism in Science should be shut down immediately. End. Of. Story.

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Simon Bridges says ‘no evidence’ sister teaching creationism at school

National leader Simon Bridges says there’s no evidence that his sister taught creationism as a preferred theory of evolution in science classes.

Mt Hobson Middle School teacher Rachel O’Connor is at the centre of the allegations – she is Mr Bridges’ sister and wife of National MP Simon O’Connor.

One of her former students, who has not been named, told Newsroom his Year 10 class was shown a video in 2016 called ‘Science Has Found Proof of the Existence of God’.

“I respect anyone’s religious beliefs, I have no problem with that, but this is a science class,” the student said.

The school is one of two private schools run by the Villa Education Trust, which also operates two charter schools.

The student’s mother, a trained secondary teacher, told Newsroom that showing the video in a science class amounted to “slick Christian propaganda”.

“The reality is, this wouldn’t be a story if it wasn’t my sister,” Mr Bridges told Newshub.

I believe that if you receive public funding to run a school, you need to abide by the collective curriculum of society – and that means no creationism bullshit in the Science class.

You want to teach that in some seperate religious class, knock yourself out, but this is the 21st century and we need citizens and future workers to have a basic understanding of science.

The story of a magical flying invisible wizard creating the entire Universe in 6 days is a fine myth that can be studied at length in a religious class – but that NO WAY should be part of the Science curriculum.

We can not tolerate as a progressive liberal society with a fully functioning base of science a public school system that teaches children that 2 + 2 = 17.

This has always been the main flaw of the charter school system. Religious fanatics want to teach dogma and myth as fact, which we should never as a secular society accept.

24 COMMENTS

  1. Given that it involves obvious delusion by completely ignoring both logic and evidence, religion is imo technically a form of (thankfully mostly harmless) mental illness, and definitely doesn’t belong anywhere on public school grounds.

    • Aaron.

      The deal is that NZ education is compulsory , free and secular by law.

      Passed in 1877 by a large majority who were mainly church people after approximately 18 months of religious argument.

      That law has been the foundation of the Kiwi way of life.

      Bigoted religious adherents have under national tried to change this with Charter schools who can employ anyone they like to act as teachers.

      A move to break down our public system of education ready for privatisation of young Kiwi minds and creating further division of our nation.

      A very big deal indeed.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iMmvu9eMrg

  2. You say “We can not tolerate as a progressive liberal society”. Explains a lot about the contradictory nature of the crypto fascist left. I’m not getting in your face here but there’s a ruddy fine line between this & that, us & them. Mirror mirror on the wall.

  3. I don’t have any problem with creationism being discussed as a topic in science if is being used as a point of comparison. It depends on who is doing the teaching and in what context.

  4. I believe in a young Earth, I do NOT believe in evolution. People are free to believe what the want. However, evolution as a theory has fallen apart IMO.

    I challenge any evolutionist to watch this 4 part series before running their mouth:

    https://youtu.be/uJGairhrPGc

    • The Evangelist McMurtry is campaigning and of course he will take in many who may not be equipped with the thinking enabling them to sort illogical and emotive ploys used in engaging fear and many other important psychological processes including confirmation bias.

      The uncertain are easily captured. So is their hard one cash.

      Fraud! ?

      Who is right or does a close minded position of right and wrong really matter.

      Science is a method of investigation, the best and most reliable method we have to date.

      As our accumulation of knowledge expands our understanding changes.

      https://kadath123.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/dr-grady-s-mcmurtry/

      • They usually go for about 5,000 years (i.e. Biblical history is all there ever was). They believe that dinosaurs and humans co-existed. Scientific facts and evidence don’t matter whatsoever – they feel these are merely “tests of faith”. And yes I fully appreciate that you’re thinking “says the anthropogenic climate change denier” ;-).

  5. Yes Frikkie, don’t be narrow minded, be so open minded your mind is vacuous. And keep your worship out of our state schools.

    Martyn is doing a public service letting us know how the trolls creep into the curriculum under the guise of science!!!

  6. Actually why has no one disputed “The reality is, this wouldn’t be a story if it wasn’t my sister,” Mr Bridges told Newshub. – any school that taught creationism in science should be shut down no matter who was the teacher! Not even the churches (with the exception of the weird fundamentalists) teach that this is a truth any more.

    • NZ schools can be “closed” for up to 30 mins per week for purposes of “religious Instruction” if the content and deliverer is approved by the Board Of trustees and the school class closed for that purpose.

      No child has to attend and usually children are withdrawn upon parental request. The school still has to care for the children not attending and NO pressure should be allowed to bear on attendance.

      Teachers are not allowed to be asked or influenced in any way to take part or attend a class during “religious instruction”.

      Some BOTs do not notify the parents and this is a serious matter if the children are exposed to “religious” influences outside of the mandatory school programme which must be compulsory free and secular by law.

      That is why the school is closed for any BOT “authorised religious instruction”

      Some BOTs are ignorant of the law. Principal often have a personal religious agenda.

      Many church groups and particularly the Pentecostal “Arise” run by John Cameron, fragrantly flout the law and communicate with children at the school gate and have provided buses to transport students away after school to “church” session without parental knowledge of permission.

      Schools are responsible for children from the time they leave home to attend until they return home.

      Arise has also made moved to be involved within the school programme by providing volunteers for activities. Such evangelism uses youthful volunteers ato spreading information about Arise “musical” gatherings and dances which degenerate into worship sessions and Arise dogma being preached, is scurrilous.

      Every child in a NZ school has the right to learn and socially mix in a secular environment. Religious instruction and closing of the school class for up to 30 minutes where children are or can be separated on religious grounds stinks as far as the kids are concerned. Religion and bigoted believers should not be allowed near our schools and many responsible BOT do not allow such “religious instruction” in their schools.

      Education is not conforming to a closed mindset and doing as instructed by fearful and evangelistic persuasion.

      Critical thinking is a most important part of any school curriculum where values and information should be challenged and the development of skill to do that is paramount.

      • The only place for religious content in a compulsory public education system is in a voluntary ‘comparative religion’ class. It’s long past time for these “non-compulsory” religious propaganda sessions to be totally removed from public schools.

  7. Let me get this right. You object to kids learning about Christianity.
    But ….
    Teaching kids about anal sex ; how to put condom on , how to masturbate; that there are now multiple genders they can choose to be (since ‘gender’ is “only something assigned at birth” by Drs) ….
    oh -and I left out- instructions on how ‘P’ is smoked,

    – those are all just FINE with you …-Right????

    • Let me get this right. You object to kids learning about Christianity.

      Which version of Christianity, Cassie? Roman catholicism? Anglican? Presbyterian? Mormon? East Orthodox? Jehovah’s Witness? Seventh Day Adventist? Destiny Church? Any one of thousands of US fundamentalist sects?

      It’s not like “Christianity” is like Einstein’s Special Theory on Relativity where there is only one version (which is built on as new knowledge becomes apparent). As for “Teaching kids about anal sex ; how to put condom on , how to masturbate; that there are now multiple genders they can choose to be (since ‘gender’ is “only something assigned at birth” by Drs) ” – yes, indeed. Knowledge is power.

      The converse, as we all know, is Orwell’s bleak “Ignorance is Strength”.

    • @ Cassie … if children are to be taught Christianity, then it can be done in a church or other place of worship, where it originated.

      State schools are definitely not the place to teach Christianity in any form.

      Those other issues you mention are facts of life.

  8. I’ll believe in your garbage evolution when you can show the thousands and thousands of ‘ missing links’ needed to demonstrate the ‘evolution’ between Australopithecus to Homo Sapiens.

    And in fact, – that goes for every other species as well.

    To date?

    They haven’t found a single one.

    Your garden variety evolutionary theory is nothing more than a theory.

    And a bad one at that.

    It holds about as much water as a sieve.

    • What’s your alternative theory, WK?

      Because thus far, evolution stacks up pretty well with evidence-based conclusions, biological processes, natural selection, etc.

    • WK.
      I am a little suprised at your post.

      “Missing” links do not really disturb the pattern of evolution being revealed by hard evidence and emerging thinking which is challenged and tested at every step.

      Creationism on the other hand is believing what you are told by a few who talk to supernatural beings and of course collect your money.

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