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Alberta gov't to make evolution classes optional under proposed law.

MorgensternMorgenstern ICH BIN DER PESTVOGELDU KAMPFAFFE!Registered User regular
edited June 2009 in Debate and/or Discourse
A controversial Alberta bill will enshrine into law the rights of parents to pull their children out of classes discussing the topics of evolution and homosexuality.

The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

"This government supports a very, very fundamental right and that is parental rights with respect to education," said Premier Ed Stelmach.

Although Stelmach has confirmed the bill will give parents the authority to exclude their kids from classes if the topic of evolution comes up, Education Minister Dave Hancock said it won't change anything.

"With respect to values, religion and sex education have always been areas of concern for parents, and they've always been areas parents have had the right to be notified about and to exempt their students from," Hancock said.

Debate over Alberta's international image
Frank Bruseker, the head of the Alberta Teachers' Association, is meeting with Hancock on Monday to raise his concerns.

"If parents don't want that kind of education for their children they have a couple of options," Bruseker said. "One would be home schooling or private school. So for a public school to start excluding based on religious preference, I think is a mistake."

Bruseker said it would be difficult for teachers to avoid the topic of evolution in science or geography classes.

The proposed legislation has touched off a debate about just what kind of image Alberta's government is trying to create around the world.

NDP Leader Brian Mason likened the bill to Alberta recently using a photo of a British beach in an ad to promote the province.

"This government just spent $25 million of taxpayers money to give Alberta a new image. All they've done is make Alberta look like Northumberland and sound like Arkansas," Mason said.

The new legislation could be passed within a few weeks.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/04/30/cgy-bill-evolution-law-alberta-classes-teachers.html

What makes me laugh about this is that in the same bill that meant to expand human rights to homosexuals in Texberta (I mean, Alberta), they want to allow parents the ability to pull kids out of classes where homosexuality is discussed.

"We don't like fags and our kids don't gotta learn about them!"

“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley
Morgenstern on
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Posts

  • ElJeffeElJeffe Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited April 2009
    I first read the thread title as "Alabama". I didn't not know that Canada was this dumb.

    My fragile little world, crushed.

    ElJeffe on
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  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Alberta is... special.

    Der Waffle Mous on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    "Come visit spacious Alberta; Canada's Kansas."

    OptimusZed on
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  • EmperorSethEmperorSeth Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    To be fair, don't most American schools let parents pull their students from classes as well? And the real problem here is attempts to change the curriculum itself?

    EmperorSeth on
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  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Alberta is special alright.

    Especially our government.

    KetBra on
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  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Alberta is... special.

    Texas North, Canada's Anus

    God I hate this shit-hole

    Senjutsu on
  • Vincent GraysonVincent Grayson Frederick, MDRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    But evolution doesn't deal with religion at all...so how does that qualify?

    Vincent Grayson on
  • Descendant XDescendant X Skyrim is my god now. Outpost 31Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    But evolution doesn't deal with religion at all...so how does that qualify?

    ...seriously?

    Descendant X on
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  • XyzzyXyzzy Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I am so upset that I live here. D:

    Supposedly this won't change anything regarding the curriculum, but I'd like to know how a child who's been pulled out of the evolution unit in grade 12 biology is going to be able to write a standardized final that includes a large section on evolution and genetics.

    Xyzzy on
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    But evolution doesn't deal with religion at all...so how does that qualify?

    Biology is the science of :winky:

    moniker on
  • DelzhandDelzhand Hard to miss. Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    I first read the thread title as "Alabama".

    You're not alone.

    Delzhand on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I... aren't things supposed to go the other way around? O_o

    I thought we were striving toward evolution being okay mixed in with religion. Nice going Alberta. Nice going, Canada. Always have room to blame you guys! <.<

    Henroid on
  • MarathonMarathon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    But evolution doesn't deal with religion at all...so how does that qualify?

    ...seriously?

    It's a fair question. People that somehow force the comparison between evolution and religion are applying science to the supernatural. And science is completely unrelated to the supernatural.

    Marathon on
  • evilintentevilintent Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    What the fuck?

    evilintent on
    6a00d83451c45669e2011571303907970b-.jpg
  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    If the bolded paragraph applied to evolution, then the First Amendent would prevent evolution from being taught in U.S. schools. Worst case, it's just being brought to the same position that the U.S. is currently in, and will take a massive burst of additional nuttiness to actually cause harm.

    jothki on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I'd like to point out that this is exactly what Texas doesn't have. Though unfortunately concessions were still made.

    What I'm saying is make fun of Alabama.

    Quid on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    I first read the thread title as "Alabama". I didn't not know that Canada was this dumb.

    My fragile little world, crushed.

    I did the same thing.

    What the hell, Canada, you're not supposed to be... southern.

    KalTorak on
  • FerrousFerrous Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I am saddened...yet not at all shocked.

    Ferrous on
  • AdrienAdrien Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    I first read the thread title as "Alabama". I didn't not know that Canada was this dumb.

    My fragile little world, crushed.

    I did this as well.

    Adrien on
    tmkm.jpg
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Can we now Blame Canada?

    Tox on
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  • ResRes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

    I don't understand how this has anything to do with evolution.

    Res on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Res wrote: »
    The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

    I don't understand how this has anything to do with evolution.

    Evolution is considered to be subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, because to teach evolution apparently requires you start off with a fifteen minute diatribe about how christians are teh lamez

    Tox on
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  • ResRes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    Tox wrote: »
    Res wrote: »
    The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

    I don't understand how this has anything to do with evolution.

    Evolution is considered to be subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, because to teach evolution apparently requires you start off with a fifteen minute diatribe about how christians are teh lamez

    That's like saying we shouldn't teach language or the history thereof because in reality God didn't give us all one magical language and then take it away because we were naughty.

    Teaching kids how evolution works does not require teaching them that creationists are retards; it just teaches them what they need to know to reach that conclusion on their own. Non-issue.

    Res on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Res wrote: »
    Tox wrote: »
    Res wrote: »
    The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

    I don't understand how this has anything to do with evolution.

    Evolution is considered to be subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, because to teach evolution apparently requires you start off with a fifteen minute diatribe about how christians are teh lamez

    That's like saying we shouldn't teach language or the history thereof because in reality God didn't give us all one magical language and then take it away because we were naughty.

    Teaching kids how evolution works does not require teaching them that creationists are retards; it just teaches them what they need to know to reach that conclusion on their own. Non-issue.

    Clearly you've never heard the conservative end of the argument. Allow me to attempt.

    Ahem.

    "NUH-UH! YOU'RE A STUPID DOODY-HEAD AND YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL BECAUSE MY GOD TOLD ME SO AND HE'S AWESOME AND COOL AND IS TOTALLY REAL AND NOT MADE UP AT ALL OR ANYTHING! AND HE SAID THAT HE MADE THE WORLD THE WAY IT IS NOW, AND THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS PEOPLE COMING FROM MONKEYS! ARE YOU CALLING ME A MONKEY? YOU'RE A MONKEY! I'M NOT A MONKEY!"

    That's pretty close.

    Tox on
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  • XyzzyXyzzy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I think the way it's worded means not that evolution deals with religion explicitly in the curriculum, but that a parent who has religious attachments to the idea of evolution (or maybe anything else) now has official grounds to remove their children from that class.

    Which is messed up, because this bill apparently is going to both simultaneously recognize sexual orientation in Alberta's human rights legislation and give parents the right to completely insulate their children from knowing anything about it.

    Xyzzy on
  • TrusTrus Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    Alberta is... special.

    Texas North, Canada's Anus

    God I hate this shit-hole

    Trus on
    qFN53.png
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I was never happier than when I left Alberta...

    oldmanken on
  • MorgensternMorgenstern ICH BIN DER PESTVOGEL DU KAMPFAFFE!Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I was born and raised in this province. I will never go so far to say I hate it, but this province is veering so far off to the right end of the spectrum, it's making me think that I don't want to raise my kids here at all.

    Morgenstern on
    “Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I was born and raised in this province. I will never go so far to say I hate it, but this province is veering so far off to the right end of the spectrum, it's making me think that I don't want to raise my kids here at all.

    Don't get me wrong, Alberta is a beautiful province, and has some fantastic people. However, the politics and social mindset are completely foreign to me. When I completed my degree (via distance while working), I had a pretty hard choice on whether to stay with a stable job or move on somewhere else. I took the later option, and while I may not be better off financially, it was definitely the right choice.

    Like you, I couldn't picture raising a family there, not in that social environment.

    oldmanken on
  • BirudojinBirudojin Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    This makes me very, very sad :(

    Just homeschool them if you want to control everything they're exposed to and shelter them from ideas you don't like.

    /Albertan

    Birudojin on
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Birudojin wrote: »
    This makes me very, very sad :(

    Just homeschool them if you want to control everything they're exposed to and shelter them from ideas you don't like.

    /Albertan

    Or, you know...private school.

    Tox on
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  • SageinaRageSageinaRage Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    But...I thought that Alberta doesn't suck...

    SageinaRage on
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  • DeciusDecius I'm old! I'm fat! I'M BLUE!Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Wow, just when I thought our province was working towards shedding the stereotype of being a bunch of inbred redneck hicks, something like this pops up.

    I mean...my god...I'm just staggered

    Edit: Oh wait, I think I can hear something in the distance. Yeah...definitely....I can hear the banjos a duelin'

    Decius on
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    I never finish anyth
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    But...I thought that Alberta doesn't suck...

    Nope, sorry.

    Alberta is Canada's Texas. They hate Ontario for being bigger then them. The hate Quebec because it's bigger then them AND French.

    shryke on
  • DeciusDecius I'm old! I'm fat! I'M BLUE!Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    No we hate Quebec for stomping around like a two-year-old, going "NO NO NO, MINE MINE MINE" and we hate Ontario for looking at Quebec and going "how do we get in on that action."

    And really we don't hate Ontario, just Toronto. Hating Toronto is more of a sport, or the one unifying force that brings together Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

    On and The Arrogant Worms are from Ontario, so that song in more in the realm of satirical comedy, or irony.

    Decius on
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    I never finish anyth
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Everybody not from Toronto, and about half of Toronto, hates Toronto. It's part of being Canadian.

    oldmanken on
  • ResRes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    That song isn't actually by The Arrogant Worms.

    Don't know why people think it is.

    Res on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Birudojin wrote: »
    This makes me very, very sad :(

    Just homeschool them if you want to control everything they're exposed to and shelter them from ideas you don't like.

    /Albertan

    So he should home school his children because of the school's policy towards teaching evolution? Irony.

    moniker on
  • HarrierHarrier The Star Spangled Man Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I for one am incredibly happy that there's another country out there that knows what conservative Christian nuttery is like

    It makes me feel slightly less awkward as an American

    Harrier on
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  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    It's still our fault, technically.

    Fencingsax on
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