To:  Simon Birmingham, Education Minister;
cc:   Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister;
cc:   Tanya Plibersek, Shadow Education Minister:

Science has provided staggering advances in medicine, technology, and across every sphere of human advancement. 

But science has been undermined by fixations with pseudo-science - the anti-vaxxer lobby, denial of climate change, and fundamentalists who claim human evolution is a "hoax". 

More than 250 private religious schools across Australia reserve the right to teach Creationism as part of their curriculum.  This practice must stop - it is intellectually damaging to children, it indoctrinates ideas that are patently false, it disables the capacity of young minds to 'think critically', and it prevents a scientific understanding of the natural world.

A Guardian poll in 2017 showed 34% of Australians believe that Genesis is literally true!  And for the 18-34 age group, 42% believe the Old Testament as fact (2 tables mid article).  Creationists claim the Earth is just 6,000 years old, that Noah's flood is historically true, and humans lived with dinosaurs. We don't need these myths taught in schools any more!

Current funding for private schools is $12 billion - we urge you to withdraw the relevant portion of these grants from all schools which teach Creationism.  Save taxpayer dollars, and stop funding pseudo-science to vulnerable and impressionable children.

Schools teaching the Bible as the "inerrant Word of God".  see https://www.plainreason.org/featured/petition-change-org/

More details and free eBook on this topic at:
https://www.plainreason.org