"Here in the North there is no such thing as monkeys."

I know many Canadians. None of them are stupid. Now I find proof that there are some idiots in the frozen North too.

According to an article from Yahoo Canada when a biology teacher wanted to add more to the meager introduction to evolution in his class was told not to out of "respect for the local Inuit community's culture". What does that have to do with not giving kids the knowledge in science they need to be productive Canadian citizens?

"Students in the northern Quebec town of Salluit should have an open mind and think for themselves, but not teaching them Darwin's Theory of Evolution is an issue of respect, says the region's school board."

The community's school committee told CBC:

"If the town complains and says no, the committee can ask the principal or the director of teachers to approach the teacher and say, 'Look, this is not the subject to be taught here in this town, or in this place, because we know we have been humans from the beginning, '" said Molly Tayara.

"I don't personally accept my children being taught that they came from some species from Africa somewhere.

"Here in the North there is no such thing as monkeys."

(Via Pharyngula)