Teaching of evolution to be given a boost with launch of new international education materials

The announcement coincides with the opening of the International Symposium on Evolution and Education at the National Science Learning Centre on Monday 26 October, 2009. The event has been organised by the British Council in association with the Wellcome Trust, the National Science Learning Centre and the Natural History Museum.

The education resources can be freely adapted for the school curriculum and contain lesson plans for pupils aged between 5 – 18 years of age who are studying the celebrated British naturalist’s theory of evolution by natural selection, and its impact on modern science. These resources have been designed to appeal to pupils and teachers across a range of subjects such as drama, science, philosophy, art & design, geography, languages and music.

Translated into more than ten languages so far, the resources are aimed at supporting existing curricula whilst providing teachers with educational aides that not only aim to inspire pupils about evolution, but also to encourage scientific experimentation and observation.

Developed in association with the Wellcome Trust and Kew Gardens, an expanded version of some of these resources in the form of an educational kit box, have already been distributed to most schools in the UK.

Head of the British Council’s Darwin Now programme, Dr Fern Elsdon-Baker, said: ‘The British Council is more than ever globally active in education programmes that stimulate inter-cultural dialogue that is respectful of faith and belief. The Darwin Now education resources are freely available and designed to encourage open debate and discussion around Charles Darwin’s theories. This is in response to an increased interest in evolution both in and out of the classroom as we mark the double centenary of 200 years since his birth and 150 years since the publication of Origin of Species by Natural Selection.’

The launch of the international educational materials coincides with the publication of the findings of a global British Council survey into levels of awareness of Charles Darwin and attitudes towards evolution. The research, conducted by Ipsos MORI, surveyed over ten thousand adults across ten countries worldwide including Argentina, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and the USA.

The global survey revealed that the majority of respondents surveyed think that evolution should be taught as part of science lessons*. In Great Britain, 75 percent (global average 63%) of people thought that evolution should be taught in science lessons*, compared with 9 percent (global average 18%) of people who did not.

Just over half of adults (54%) in Great Britain thought that evolution should be taught in science lessons alongside other theories, such as intelligent design and creationism. The research however suggests that the more people understand about evolution, the greater their conviction that it should be taught in science lessons in schools*. In Great Britain, where 83% (global average 61%) of respondents had heard of Charles Darwin and knew something about his theory of evolution, 84 per cent in this group, versus 75% across the entire GB population, said evolution should be taught in science lessons in schools*.

Across all respondents in the survey who said they had some knowledge of evolutionary theories, the number who thought that it should be taught in schools rose to 77 per cent, up from 63% across the entire population.

The education materials are available for download from the British Council website at: http://darwin.britishcouncil.org/education

-ENDS-

*Footnote: This represents a combination of people who believe evolutionary theories alone should be taught as part of science lessons in schools OR evolutionary theories should be taught in science lessons in schools together with other possible perspectives, such as intelligent design and creationism

For more information and to request a copy of the survey results, please contact, Tony Stephenson, Adam Michael, or Benjamyn Tan on +44 (0) 20 7457 2020 or email darwinnow@collegehill.com

Notes to Editors

About Darwin Now

Darwin Now is the British Council’s contribution to the international celebration of the 200 year anniversary of Darwin’s birth (on the 12th February) and the 150 year anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’ (on the 24th November). Through this international programme of activity the British Council is seeking to engage new audiences, to make Darwin’s theory of evolution relevant to their lives, and to encourage involvement and debate. Darwin Now will look at the impact of Darwin’s ideas and their impact on contemporary biology, medicine and society. It comprises a year long programme of activity including outreach work and exhibitions in schools and further education colleges, a mobile exhibition, interactive website with and supporting workshops. The campaign is expected to run in up to 50 countries worldwide, including the regions of Europe, North Africa, East Asia, America and Latin America.

In the UK, highlights include the British Science Association, Festival of Science in September, and a youth summit involving 60 students from around the world, which will be held at the Natural History Museum in July. The programme culminates in the “Alexandrina Conference” a three day international conference on evolution and society, which will be held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt between 14th-16th November 2009. For more information, please go to http://www.britishcouncil.org/darwin

About British Council

Celebrating 75 years in 2009, the British Council is the UK’s international cultural relations organisation. We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the arts, education, English, science, sport and governance. Last year we engaged face-to-face with 13.2 million people and reached 221 million worldwide. We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government. Our total turnover in 2008/9 was £645 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £209 million. For every £1 of government grant we receive, we earn £2.21 from other sources. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org

About MORI

Ipsos MORI, part of the Ipsos Group, is a leading market research company in the UK with an extensive global reach. The Ipsos network covers more than 55 countries across the globe, providing clients with the best service in five key specialisms. For more information, please visit the Ipsos MORI website at www.ipsos-mori.com.