12th May 2011

The Minister
Department for Education
Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 2GJ
cc: Nick Gibb (Minister for schools)
Lord Hill of Oareford CBE (undersecretary)
Dear Mr Gove,
Creationism In Schools Isn’t Science - CrISIS

Despite existing Department of Education guidance on the teaching of creationism, some recent
events at St Peter’s, a state secondary school in Exeter, Devon show additional protection is
necessary.

In March, Philip Bell, a full time Evangelical preacher and Chief Executive of Creation Ministries
International (who presents creationist views that the world is about 6000 years old as scientific
fact and denies the validity of the theory of evolution) was invited by the school to lecture to
Year 11 students as part of an RE revision day.

It should be noted that his organization states on its website that their preferred method of
evangelizing is infiltrating at a grassroots level via a sympathetic teacher, introductions and
magazines as they feel this is a more successful method of achieving conversions. His website
showed that he considered the event “Ministry to school students”. Mr Bell and his colleagues
have already made appearances at other schools and according to his website more are
planned.

The school is adamant it has done nothing wrong within the current guidelines despite
presenting creationism on equal terms with modern science to sixteen year olds and in a letter
to a parent describing Mr Bell as a “scientist” who “presented arguments based on scientific
theory for his case” and describing modern biology as “evolutionism ".1 This echoes Christian
Schools Trust policy on evolution1 which is to teach biblical creationism as historical and
scientific fact, present evolution and creationism as competing scientific standpoints, and
present evolution in such a way that it will not be believed.

Recently, the Department of Education has stated that you are ‘crystal clear’ that creationism
has no scientific validity and should not be taught as science. Yet here we have a school
presenting Creationism as a valid scientific position, and justifying this by reference to Religious
Education. These events show that creationists are now openly using the RE syllabus to
advance their claim to be offering a valid scientific alternative to established knowledge, from
within the State funded school system.
Therefore, we believe that the guidelines need clarifying to prevent Creationism being
presented as a valid scientific theory both in lesson time and outside of it in state funded
schools, as we are aware that this is also happening in clubs in and out of school time. Given
the nature of the internet, we also believe that the Guidance should state that websites which
promote creationism as a valid scientific theory, like other unsuitable resources, should not be
used. We believe this is necessary to protect the plain intent of the current Guidelines.

In addition, you will shortly have to deal with applications for Free School status from Everyday
Champions Church (ECC), the Christian Schools Trust and for Academy status for St Peter’s
among many others. Recent public statements from ECC and its associates suggest, if
anything, an even more anti-scientific approach in its preferred teaching.1 This would suggest
that the current Guidelines will need modification to reflect emerging practice.

The parent involved in the Exeter school incident (Laura Horner) and the British Centre for
Science Education together with the groups and individuals listed at the end of this letter have
therefore come together to launch CrISIS (Creationism In Schools Isn't Science), whose views
are summarised in our petition:

Creationism is known, and officially acknowledged, to be contrary to scientific fact. We

therefore demand that creationism should not be presented as a valid scientific position,
nor creationist websites and resources be promoted, in publicly funded schools or in
any youth activities run on publicly funded school premises.

Since this is in accord with Government policy as we understand it, we look forward to your
support in this matter and a clarification of the Guidelines to reflect these demands.

Respectfully,

Laura Horner B.Sc., PGCE (CrISIS founder and parent)

Jim Al-Khalili, Professor of Physics, Professor of Public Engagement in Science

Simon Barrow for Ekklesia

Dr Susan Jane Blackmore, BA (Hons), MSc, PhD

Professor Paul S. Braterman M.A. D.Phil , D.Sc (Oxon) for the British Centre for Science
Education

Andrew M. Colman, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, Professor of Psychology

D. Colquhoun FRS, Professor of Pharmacology, University College London

Richard Dawkins, DSc, FRS, Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford

Prof Christopher C French, Professor of Psychology, BA PhD

Adam Hart -Davis, MA (Oxon), D Phil (York)

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge

The Rev Canon David Jennings, M.Phil., B.D., A.K.C., Rector of Burbage,Canon
Theologian of Leicester Cathedral

Professor J Steve Jones

Dr Stephen Law,

Clifford Longley, Consultant Editor to the Tablet, BBC Moral Maze panellist

Terry Sanderson, President of National Secular Society

Rev Michael Roberts, M.A. (Oxon - geology) B.A. (Dunelm- theology) F.R.Hist.S Vicar of
Cockerham, Winmarleigh and Glasson, Hon Research Fellow in History, Lancaster Univ.

Simon Singh MBE

Canon Prof J.S. K. Ward D.D (Oxon) D.D. (Cantab) , F.B.A. Emeritus Regius Prof of
Theology, Oxford

James D. Williams BSc MEd FSB CSciTeach

1
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/crisis-creationism-in-schools-isn-t-science.html
2
Christian Schools Trust 2009 Policy on the Teaching of Evolution, quoted in full by Sylvia Baker, Ph.D. Thesis in
Education, 2009, available at http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/3115, pp 354 on
3
http://www.creationscience.co.uk/hello-world-2-2/