"CONFINE CREATIONISM TO R.E."

11.53.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th May 2003

Dr Jenny Tonge, MP for Richmond Park, has put down an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on the Secretary of State for Education not to enter into any more agreements with organisations wishing to found new state-maintained schools unless they agree to confine the teaching of "creationism" to religious education classes.

The MP has also written to Richmond Council's director of Education and Leisure Anji Phillips, asking her to clarify how, or if the theory of creationism is taught in Richmond schools.

For further information please contact Serena Hennessy on: 020 8332 7919

Notes for Editors: Text of EDM reads: That this House notes that the Vardy Foundation is already being subsidised to run independent schools in Gateshead and Middlesbrough at 100 per cent public expense (after an initial contribution from the sponsor towards capital costs); further notes that it is seeking to set up similar publicly funded academies in Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle, Sunderland and Hull;

and calls on the Secretary of State for Education to decline to enter any further agreements with the Vardy Foundation or similar would-be sponsors in respect of new academies unless the sponsors undertake not to operate discriminatory policies and practices and to confine the teaching of creationism to religious education classes.