Posts Tagged ‘education’


Secondary School Students In England To Study Creationism

March 10th, 2006 by Oskar Kennedy

  BBC News is reporting on new curriculum guidelines that will require biology teachers to address the creationist perspective in a unit on fossilization.
  The exam board that issued the new syllabus insists that they’re not teaching it as a scientific theory. If it’s not a scientific theory, why would it be a required topic for a science class? *sigh*

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Novelist Worries About Florida’s Reputation

February 19th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy

  On Sunday, Carl Hiaasen waded into the argument over science education standards in Florida with a great editorial warning about the damage that the teaching of evolution could do to the state’s reputation.

  Unfortunately, it looks like the state school board didn’t take Mr. Hiaasen’s recommendation seriously. Four of the seven board members voted to include the word “evolution” in public schools science standards for the first time.

  After much wrangling, The board approved the use of the term “scientific theory of evolution,” so as to placate the anti-science crowd, who still seem to think that tossing the word “theory” about somehow weakens evolution. It’s so sad that, in the 21st century, it still takes this kind of pandering to get real science in front public school children. Somebody call Spain and ask if they’ll take the peninsula back.

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Is Our Children Learning? Not For Long!

April 13th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy

Dear Little Bald Bastard,
  Hey LBB, did you hear that Bush’s 2009 budget kills the funding for the RIF [Reading Is Fundamental] program? Doesn’t that suck?
- Wonk-a Wonk

Dear Wonk-a Wonk,
  Thank you, President Bush. Every time I think it’s impossible to despise you and your disastrous presidency any harder, you find some way to become even more loathsome and horrible. It’s as if you sense outrage fatigue setting in, and you make up your mind to prevent us from giving up on hating you.

  The latest salvo in the arms race of unconscionableness that is the Bush executive is an item in the President’s 2009 budget. More accurately, it’s something that’s not included in the $3.1 trillion plan. The Bush Administraitor’s proposal eliminates federal funding for the Reading Is Fundamental program, which has been part of every budget since 1975. From their website:

RIF is the oldest and largest children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. 

  I applaud you, sir. It’s as if you scoured federal spending for the cutest, cuddliest puppy you could find, and then clubbed it to death on the south lawn as a sacrifice to the Gods of War (Iraq Regional Office).

  Here’s an idea, loosely adapted from a lame bumper sticker. RIF is asking for $26 million in federal funding in fiscal year 2009. Each F-22 fighter costs in the neighborhood of $177 million. Maybe the Air Force could get by with one less this year, so some poor kids could get some free books? If you want, you can even use the leftover $151 million to fund some ridiculous and ineffective social program, like abstinence-only sex education.

  Fortunately, the curtain hasn’t quite closed on this farce. There’s still time to contact your legislators and urge them to restore RIF’s funding. President Bush has been at the helm for the ruin of our economy, the trashing of our civil liberties, and the deaths of thousands of American soldiers. Don’t let him threaten millions of American children with illiteracy.

[x-posted from Ask The Little Bald Bastard]

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Links For Brains: 9/5/2008

September 5th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy
  • Michael Shermer kicks off a series of articles on “the neuroscience of chance” with a look at why we’re so bad at intuiting probability. (What are the odds? I have no idea. And neither do you.)
  • Virtual Philosopher ask the Director of Education at the British Humanist Association a basic question. (“Quasi-religion” is the new “cult.”)
  • Discovery News reports that some birds’ sweet songs are actually dueling duets. (“Our eggs are more fertile that your eggs!” “Nobody regurgitates food better than us!”)
  • Six Pennsylvania families are suing their school districts because they want their religious indoctrination home school curricula exempted from state reporting requirements. (The final exam is just a file folder with the Old Testament pasted inside it.)
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Links For Brains: 9/9/2008

September 9th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy
  • Fort Worth Weekly looks at the fight on the ground over science education in Texas. (Can’t we just give them back to Mexico and call it even?)
  • The Herald reviews a BBC2 drama about god on trial, while pondering how anyone can truly know the mind of a deity. (Spoiler alert: guilty as charged, but unavailable for sentencing.)
  • SCOTUSblog summarizes the Supreme Court’s December argument schedule. (Expect the first rulings narrowing civil rights protections some time in February.)
  • Ryoga M’s Driving The Peterbilt tackles Exodus 4, and reveals god’s only weakness. (Hint: it totally involves genitals. Awesome.)
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