The Accord coalition has reacted with alarm to correspondence from Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School in Hackney stating that is has worked with exam boards to censor questions in GCSE Science exams. Responding to a Freedom of Information from the Accord Coalition founding member group, the British Humanist Association, the school stated that the system of censoring exam questions ‘has successfully been in place within the charedi schools throughout England for many years, and to date has never posed a problem with the Examination Boards.
In 2006 the Government issued guidance on the place of creationism and intelligent design, which made clear they could not be presented as scientific theories. However, the latest revelation suggests science teaching could now be being undermined by omission, rather than contradiction.
Chair of the Accord Coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘Religious perspectives on the origins of the Earth and the evolution of life can be explored in schools, but must not be allowed to trump scientific explanations in science lessons. If schools are working with examination boards to censor or expunge science questions that run counter to religious perspectives, this is the tip of an academic iceberg and suggests they are actively working to deny children access to general knowledge. It is deeply worrying and the Government should launch a full-scale investigation into this abuse of education.’
