Private schools should be able to teach creationism

The argument

Proponents of this argument hold that the question of where creationism may be taught is best resolved by drawing a clear line between private and public provision of education. On this view, there is no problem with private schools teaching creationism if parents wish to pay for their children to learn it. The reasoning rests on the principle of parental choice: a private school is a voluntary arrangement in which families select, and fund, an education aligned with their own convictions. Because no one is compelled to attend, and because the cost is borne by the parents rather than the public, the state has no compelling reason to intervene in what such schools choose to teach about the origins of life. The argument's second step, however, sets a firm limit on that permissiveness. Advocates maintain that no state-funded or state-supported institution that seeks educational credibility should teach creationism as science. Public institutions, on this reasoning, differ from private ones in two decisive respects: they are paid for by taxpayers who hold a wide range of beliefs, and their credibility as educational bodies depends on presenting established science in the science classroom. A state-supported school that taught creationism as science would compromise both its neutrality toward the citizens who fund it and its standing as a credible educational institution. Taken together, these two claims support the position that creationism and evolution can both have a place in education. The private sphere accommodates families who want creationism taught, while the public sphere preserves science education; each doctrine finds its lawful venue, and the apparent conflict between them is dissolved by distinguishing who pays for the teaching and what credibility the institution claims.

Premises

Counter-arguments

All children are entitled to a quality education. Additionally, privileged people who have had a private education are more likely to rise to positions of authority which would allow them to affect the welfare of others so they need to have an evidence based educational background. It is inappropriate for any school, private or not, to be able to teach creationism.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] It is irrelevant who is paying for the education. The state should ensure all children receive a high quality education, as their misbeliefs can affect their decisions later in life which can affect others.