Creationist zoo wins 'quality badge' from an educational agency

[LeftishBrit]

The 'Noah's Ark Zoo' has been awarded a quality badge from the Learning Outside the Classroom agency - basically, this makes it an approved destination for school trips.

http://www.bristol247.com/2010/08/02/bristol-christian-zoo-approved-for-school-trips/

Here's some earlier background:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/27/humanists-creationism-noahs-ark-zoo

And comments from Tom Chivers, the token reasonable person at the Torygraph:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tomchivers/100045813/creationist-noahs-ark-zoo-given-educational-quality-badge-this-is-a-terrible-idea/

The zoo has also been involved in unrelated controversies (relating to animal welfare) and I am amazed that it would be actively approved by an educational organization. Either someone didn't do their homework - which is quite common in British educational policy! - or something worse.

I do tend to post when I'm worried about something going on in British politics or education, and I don't want to give the impression that we are Sarah Palin's overseas outpost! Nothing like it; but I think that there is a danger that just *because* we have fewer problems with the Religious Right than some other countries, there can sometimes be an attitude of 'such things can't happen here, not even when they do!' Especially under a mostly-Tory government, it's important to be somewhat vigilant.

[realisticphish]

1. That's the danger of the shit we have here in America

some of it is so crazy that when bad shit happens elsewhere, they can just scoff and say, "well it's still better than America!"

[onager]

2. LOL at "token reasonable person."

But even he was so...very...careful not to OFFEND!!! the crackpots.

The comments on Chivers' article were interesting.