Kids Without God from the American Humanist Association

http://www.kidswithoutgod.com/

for teens and kids including the top 10 Atheist characters on TV.

Stephen Law: Jonathan Sacks on raising children to think and question

Stephen Law: Jonathan Sacks on raising children to think and question

Free Schools teach Creationism - reply by Dept. Education

I wrote to the Dept. Education following a BHA news article: http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/1085 about "Grindon Hall Christian School denies the overwhelming evidence of its ‘Creation Policy’ as Government tells school it is about to be approved"

Today I received a circular reply:

"Thank you for your recent correspondence, addressed to the Secretary of State, expressing disagreement with his decision to support a number of Free School projects that you believe intend to teach creationism. I hope you will appreciate the Secretary of State for Education receives a vast amount of correspondence and is unable to reply to each one personally. It is for this reason I have been asked to reply.

No Free School is allowed to teach creationism.

The Free School application guidance published by the Department now specifically says creationism, intelligent design and similar ideas cannot be taught as valid scientific theories.

Furthermore, the funding agreements for all Free Schools state that divine creation should not be taught as an 'evidence-based view or theory' (a scientific theory) in any lesson: so if a school did do this they would be putting their funding at risk.

We are confident that the Free School projects you mention will follow the rules, having explored these questions robustly with them at interview.

Prior to entering into a funding agreement, the Academy Trust is required to carry out a consultation about their plans to open a Free School. Consultations can be run in a number of ways including surveys, the launch of a simple website, meetings of key individuals and open public meetings.

Academy Trusts also need to demonstrate that they have considered the views of their stakeholders. Most do this by publishing a report setting out the key findings of their consultation.
Every application approved, including those mentioned in your letter, has had to demonstrate that the new school will provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Free Schools are subject to Ofsted inspections in the same way as all other state schools, and the government has powers to intervene in a school where there is significant cause for concern.

Please be assured that the Department will be working with the projects mentioned over the coming months to ensure that the assurances they have provided us with are honoured.

As part of our commitment to improving the service we provide to our customers, we are interested in hearing your views and would welcome your comments via our website at: www.education.gov.uk/pcusurvey

Yours sincerely
Helen Yates
Public Communications Unit
www.education.gov.uk


Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2012/0052516. To contact the Department for Education please visit www.education.gov.uk/contactus

KHEC | Ten Commitments

KHEC | Ten Commitments

Ten Commitments

1) Altruism
2) Caring for the World Around Us
3) Critical Thinking
4) Empathy
5) Ethical Development
6) Global Awareness
7) Human Rights
8) Peace and Social Justice
9) Responsibility
10) Service and Participation

Growing Up in the Universe

Growing Up in the Universe - with Richard Dawkins. Includes worksheets. In RE lessons use to teach about the awe and wonder that the study of the natural world can arouse, or about the conflict between science and religion.

‘learning from’ atheism

Hi Richard G,

We spoke about ‘learning from’ religion. This article makes some interesting points:

 Watson, J., 2008, ‘Can children and young people learn from atheism for spiritual development? A response to the national framework for religious education' British Journal of Religious Education, 30(1), 49 - 58. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01416200701711717

attached: JacquelineWatson-learn-from-Atheism-for-Spiritual-Development-2008.pdf

‘The new National Framework for Religious Education (RE) in England (QCA and DfES 2004), for the first time in national advice on agreed syllabuses, gives space for the teaching of forms of atheism, described in the framework as ‘secular philosophies such as humanism’ (ibid., 12) and ‘a secular world view’ (see for instance, ibid., 25).’ …

‘Although the framework is not statutory, and refers to secular philosophies rather than atheism per se, it offers hope to those of us who are atheists because it suggests children and young people can learn from atheism as well as learn about it; in other words that atheism could offer opportunities for spiritual development.’

I don’t consider humanism or atheism to be ‘faith’ positions. Faith to  me implies belief in some supernatural agent. Atheism is a belief system not a faith position so I disagree with Watson when she says ‘‘A fundamental contention of this article, then, is that atheism is a faith position and is the expression of a spiritual perspective of equivalent validity and strength to a theist spiritual perspective.’

However I agree with Watson ‘It is unfortunate that the national framework has used the, perhaps less controversial, word ‘secular’ in preference to ‘atheistic’, although the step forward is welcomed.’

I also agree with Watson when she says that ‘Both atheism and theism are fundamental spiritual starting points for different beliefs, belief systems, world views, philosophies and personal beliefs, which stem from them. David Hume, Karl Marx, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul 52 Sartre, to name a very few, represent different atheistic responses leading to a variety of forms of atheistic belief ‘systems’ or world views, for instance, the Enlightenment, Rationalism, Communism, Existentialism and Humanism. Such atheistic beliefs and belief systems could perfectly well be explored alongside theistic beliefs and belief systems in RE.’

Good thinking - The Ten Commandments of Good Thinking

I don't understand why the term 'Critical Thinking' needs to be replaced by 'Good Thinking'.

The Ten Commandments of Good Thinking (source: kungfuhobbit's blog: Good thinking)

1.      Always be able to change your mind.

On anything.

2.      Seek out criticism and counterarguments to your views.

Subject your beliefs to vicious and relentless attack.

Be curious how you might be wrong - there may be something you haven’t thought of.

3.      Strength of opinion should be proportional to your investigation and understanding of its criticisms, counterarguments and alternatives.

Mild unless you consider yourself an expert.

Especially beware certainty.

4.      Doubt everything. Challenge. Criticise.

Question what you are told. Ask ‘why?’ Demand evidence.

5.      Go to the primary source.

To avoid second-hand distortions. Use language precisely.

6.      Beware being emotionally infused with and attached to an idea.

For meaning, purpose, identity, pride, self-worth or in-group belonging.

Cultism and attachment make it harder to change your mind in the face of reason.

7.      Beware knee-jerk reactions and opinion formations.

Be thorough, hesitant and deliberative.

Analyse soberly with thought and reason over gut feeling.

8.      Beware logical fallacies*.

Particularly the trinity of appeal to tradition, authority and popularity.

9.      Beware cognitive biases*.

Particularly reasoning under uncertainty, groupthink and in-group/out-group tribalism.

The hardest test is resistance to conformity with the prevailing opinion in one’s own in-group.

10.  Details matter.

Appreciate context, complexity and nuance.