Where ignorance is Bliss.....

On the 13th of March 2002 Dr Jenny Tonge (now ennobled) asked our Dear Leader ..in the House of Commons (Hansard Q5. [40149] Col 887) " Is the Prime Minister happy to allow the teaching of creationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools?"

Our Dear Leader responded with charm, skill and has learnt with regret as his reply is continually thwon in his face ..."

First, I am very happy. Secondly, I know that the hon. Lady is referring to a school in the north-east, and I think that certain reports about what it has been teaching are somewhat exaggerated. It would be very unfortunate if concerns about that issue were seen to remove the very strong incentive to ensure that we get as diverse a school system as we properly can. In the end, amore diverse school system will deliver better results for our children. If she looks at the school's results, I think she will find that they are very good."

She was of course referring to The Emmanual College in Gateshead funded to a small extent by a wealthy second hand car salesman, Sir Reg Vardy, who believes in the book of Revelations and employs as Head of Science , Stephen Layfield, whose unorthodox views were expressed by him ...

"As we stated at the beginning, Christians, with very good reason, reckon the Scriptures of the Old & New Testaments a reliable guide concerning just what we are to believe. They are not merely religious documents. They provide us with the true account of earth history which we ignore at our peril."

Well the Dear Leader was in Oxford addressing the Royal Society yesterday giving an address with the uplifting title .."Britain's path to the future - lit by the brilliant light of science" ...making one wonder what illumines it's path to the past.

He started with a boast..

"We have come a long way in the past 10 years - science is in many ways the secret success story of the Government. But we need to do much more."

leading one to believe that the Gubment success is so secret that only he is aware of it, as the best of our young scientists head for the door adn the brighter pqastures of the US and Asia.

He followed with cliche ridden pap that one might expect a media studies student to steal for an GCSE essay ..

"The science of climate change is the moon landing of our day. This is idealism in a technical language. The scientists and the idealists will, once again, be the same people. The discoveries in the laboratory will be matters of life and death. Nothing could be more vital, nothing could be more exciting."

Exposing an ignorance that is frightening..

"Imagine if the MRI scanner had been known by the name that is often used by researchers, the NMR imaging device: the nuclear magnetic resonance machine. It might well have been a different sort of debate altogether."

But highlights an inherent , and profound weakness ...

"The recruitment of teachers has been an undoubted problem. There is a shortage of maths and science teachers qualified in the specialism they teach. 26% of maintained 11-16 schools have no physics specialist and 12% no chemistry specialist. Nearly a quarter of those teaching maths were non-specialists. Only 19% of science teachers specialize in physics and they tend, as a rule, to have lower degree qualifications."

Which when you discover that a recent recruit (Nigel McQuoid) to the ranks of those teaching science at the Emmanuel Academy said this in an essay (Christian Institute) Built From the Roof Down

"For a highly successful inner-city Comprehensive school to attribute its success to its allegiance to the Absolute Truths of Biblical Christianity will therefore come as no shock to the nation, even though less than 5% of our students attend Church regularly. To teach children that they are developed mutations who evolved from something akin to a monkey as a result of a cataclysmic chemical accident and that death is the end of everything is hardly going to engender within them a sense of purpose, self-worth and respect. To present, however, the Truth that they were made by a loving and just God who sees every one of them as being of equal and real value and capable of achieving their best, and to speak of the life beyond death, creates an altogether more positive sense of responsibility, accountability and direction. Surely this is no surprise to anyone?"

Makes one wonder exactly what our Dear leader meant when he said to Lady Tonge 4 years ago ..

" I think that certain reports about what it has been teaching are somewhat exaggerated. It would be very unfortunate if concerns about that issue were seen to remove the very strong incentive to ensure that we get as diverse a school system as we properly can. "

Diverse it may be, but whether it is producing the next generation of scientists to combat the floods of Indian, Russian and Chinese engineers flooding the developed world is extremely unlikely. Each University science department closed a milestone on the way.

Finally read what our Dear Leader said to the Royal Society .. it should be required reading for every scientist at work today as it exposes the Prime Minister for the academic simpleton he is.

UPDATE

Curiously Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times has an article today bringing his readers attention to our Dear Leaders's speech to the Royal Society and the Emmanuel College and its curious lineage and teaching style, which has certain fleeting similarities to the above ... what a happy coincidence that Fleet Street's finest make the same - although not of course unique comparison.