The Royal Society Director of Education, Prof. Michael Reiss, has published an article on the Guardian Science Blog today calling for discussion of intelligent design in the science classroom. He argues that science education could be improved if teachers were willing to discuss alternatives to Darwinism.

His mild comments, which he also made at the British Association Festival of Science, have "provoked fury from some parts of the scientific community" according to a Guardian news article on the topic.

The Daily Telegraph contacted the Department for Children, Schools and Families for a comment. The government spokesman "said that science teachers should answer questions about creationism if asked".