faith schools and science gcses

[mollykins]

What do faith schools do about teaching for gcse science exams when issues such as evolution and the creation of the universe are on the curricullum?

Do they not do it, but isn't it compulsory? Or do they have a different option, to teach it to the way of their faith? But what about the exams, wouldn't it go agaisnt their gods to answer a question about evolution or the big bang in a way that is saying that it happened. (I don't know if that last sentence made sense but hopefully you'll get what I mean, you normally do.)

[boxtops]

Here's Naomi's post alongside http://www.theanswerb...y/Question929254.html

[naomi24]

Good thinking Boxtops. Molly, please come and join us if you'd like to.

[mollykins]

Thats what prompted me to ask this.

[mollykins]

You weren't asking the same question though, and whenever I ask I question on someone else thread it doesn't get properly answered so I posted this one.

Anyway i'm off to badminton soon.

[naomi24]

Fair enough.

[boxtops]

actually Molly has a point. If there are set papers e.g. for GCSE, how would faith schools handle questions which might want answers which contravene their beliefs? The examiners might set a scenario and say Discuss, but allowance would have to be made, surely, for an extreme bias from some groups. I don't know what exam papers look like these days, I heard they were all multiple choice, we had to write screeds when I was at school.

[naomi24]

It's an excellent question. I don't know the answer though.

[Mamyalynne]

Sure an exam question, would not ask for example:

Q Was Darwin's theory of evolution correct?

It would more likely be :

Q Explain what Darwin's theory was.

to give just one example.

[mollykins]

I remember a biology question from my year ten exams and it was something like, explain a reason for the differences in the finches Darwin studied in the Galapagos. The right answer was something like; different families of the same bird species inhabited different islands which have different climates and ecosystems, to which the birds had to adapt, and thus change slightly form one another. However, this is evolution and wouldn't most faiths say 'god made the birds different so they could survive easier on each island.' Which would be wrong to the examiner but right by their faith.

[mollykins]

That's the kind of question i'm on about, where they'd have to accept an idea like evolution or the big bang theory in order to get it right.

[Mamyalynne]

Molly the question you quote, did not ask you to provide why you thought the finches were different, it asked you what Darwin proposed.

[Mamyalynne]

No they would not have to accept it at all, they would write what Darwin's theory stated .

[Teddio]

Children are taught to plant their tongue firmly in their cheek and give the orthodox answer.

[mollykins]

Well something similar then.

[ummmm]

I went to a Catholic school. I believe we were taught science the same as other schools. You will be taught about evolution....then go to an RS lesson and taught that it's wrong.

They are teaching you how to pass an exam...