The row over teaching the theory of intelligent design in science lessons was reignited today by the Church of England's new head of education.

The Rev Jan Ainsworth, who is responsible for more than 4,600 CofE schools, said intelligent design could form part of discussions in science lessons under the heading of history of science.

Intelligent design - the argument that living species are too complex to have evolved through Darwinian natural selection and must have a "designer" - is dismissed by the vast majority of scientists.

Ms Ainsworth told the Times Educational Supplement: "While it is not something I would subscribe to, it is a recognition that there are different ways of looking at the evidence.

"You would get howls of protest from the scientific community, which would say there is absolutely no place for it in the curriculum. But you could do it in history of science," she added, pointing out that religious education lessons in CofE schools include discussions of different beliefs.

The church today hastened to play down the significance of her comments.

The long-running battle between creationists and Darwinists over teaching evolution in schools in the US - dating to the 1925 "Monkey Trial" in Tennessee - has spilled over into the UK in recent years.

Earlier this year the government instructed schools in England not to use teaching materials promoting creationism and intelligent design circulated by the privately-funded group Truth in Science.

Ms Ainsworth's comments follow a long-running row over claims that some of Tony Blair's flagship city academies teach creationism in science lessons. The prime minister has dismissed concerns over the issue.

A spokesman for the Church of England said Ms Ainsworth was "simply representing the fact that some schools currently discuss intelligent design within the context of lessons exploring how our understanding of science has developed historically".

He continued: "Ms Ainsworth was not suggesting that intelligent design should be taught as a scientifically-based theory, but merely stating that some schools do include the topic on their history of science curriculum, and that she does not propose to prevent them from doing so.

"She believes that schools should take a lead from the national curriculum, and use discretion in enhancing this with discussions about the theory of intelligent design where appropriate," he added.

The Christian thinktank Ekklesia criticised Ms Ainsworth for flirting with intelligent design which was "creationism masquerading as science" and "appallingly bad theology".

Creationism includes a belief that all forms of life have always existed in their present form, and that the world was formed in 4004 BC, rather than 4,600 million years ago as scientists believe. Intelligent design is less explicit about God creating life and does accept the greater age of the Earth.

In the US there have been robust battles over the teaching of evolution and creationism in schools. This year the Kansas school board banned creationist teaching in science lessons.

In 2005 intelligent design was roundly condemned in a court judgment as a purely religious theory, which should not be taught in American schools under the constitutional separation of church and state. The case was brought over the teaching of intelligent design in schools in Dover, Pennsylvania.

Last year, the world's leading scientific institutions issued a joint statement calling on schools to stop denying the facts of evolution. The national science academies of 67 countries warned that scientific evidence about the origins of life was being "concealed, denied, or confused".