Bill 44 reminds me of why I love living in Alberta darn so much. Bill 44 is about parental choice:
Alberta’s controversial legislation that gives parents the option of pulling their children out of sexual education or religion classes they deem inappropriate or offensive will not affect how Catholic schools are run, board officials say.
Oh hey, fantastic. Having the option to be excluded from religious nuttery 101 is a good thing. The problem is that somehow in the topsy-turvey world of educational policy Science Education has been given the same status as Religious Studies. Parents who do not ‘believe’ in Evolution can have their children withdrawn from class using this same polished gem of legislation.
Set ignorance to 11!
Just to state the obvious Science and Religion are most certainly not the same thing. The critical thinking and skepticism that can be learned in science class are vital in shaping the minds of today’s youth. We do not need less critical thinking in the curriculum, but heaps more.
The short sighted nature of educational policy in Alberta aggravates me. This legislation is giving the delusional a means to further inoculate their children against Science and the rest of the modern world.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
2 comments
June 30, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Rob F
The wingnut parents who would pull their kids out and keep them ignorant aren’t really having their “rights” infringed upon. Absolutely nothing prevents these people from talking to their kids. Are they that scared of answering difficult questions and people thinking for themselves? It seems so.
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July 1, 2010 at 12:31 pm
The Arbourist
I think this point of inquiry illuminates much of the reasoning behind such contentious pieces of legislation such as Bill 44. Adhering and teaching a rationalist viewpoint based on the scientific method is not conducive for teaching children about religion and mythology.
All parents indoctrinate their children to a certain extent, but when school is filling their childrens’ heads daily with information that directly opposes their spiritual outlook then I imagine they would become a little pit peeved.
I can imagine that if I had children and all of a sudden they began teaching that the earth was 6,000 years old I too would be up in arms.
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