[poorelise]

"I do believe that all private schools (...) have the right to teach whatever inanity they decide"

In a way I agree, because it's kind of like free speech.

On the other hand, shouldn't a society be responsible for protecting children? Schools teach children, after all. It's different from somebody voluntarily picking a topic to learn about.

Seems to me children being taught Creationism might be seriously disadvantaged.

Then again, by what standard? For example, what if being immersed in some cult brings total happiness, even if it looks insane from the outside? Should it be disallowed to raise kids as devote cult members?

[gress]

I went to one of the top 5 private high schools in the country. Evolution was split out into a separate class, and alongside it, there was a creationism class. Parents could choose one or both classes.

I can guarantee you the kids who did the creationism only track were not 'disadvantaged' compared to 99% of kids in public school who were taught evolution.

[poorelise]

Maybe they sere not disadvantaged because general standards are low?

Actually the topic is a can of worms, we could go on about the purpose of school. I suspect teaching critical thinking is not what schools really want - they want to provide the industry with willing workers. In that context creationists perhaps aren't worse off much, but that doesn't mean much.

[gress]

Right - my point is that you can only talk about people being 'disadvantaged' by creationist teachings when other more important factors have been resolved.