Mamma mia! I thought this only happened in idiotic American school systems, but now Italy is planning to eliminate the teaching of evolution in its secondary schools.

Italian children, argues Moratti [Minister of education, universities, and research], would not understand such a complex subject at that age. She added that evolutionary biology will be taught in high schools, according to “gradual teaching criteria.”

As you might expect, the citizenry, including Nobel laureates, is up in arms.

Fearing the measure will pave the way for creationist teaching, more than 40,000 citizens—and the number is still increasing—have subscribed a petition launched last week by some of the country’s top scientists through the daily La Repubblica.

Will this madness ever end?