What in Hail??? We are teaching Darwinism to "little school children?" Good grief, PH, then all it can be is an exercise in indoctrination. People need to have developed some critical skills to handle this material. High school would be the appropriate time for theories of evolution. IMHO.
Your confidence in the "suitably credentialled" (PhDs, et al) is touching, PH. But what is the basis of your faith in such characters, sight unseen? Why is it you just naturally assume good will on their part?
To my way of thinking, the suitable "base material" for little kids would be Genesis, not Darwinism or ID.
Addendum: Teach it, not as "religion," but as a "story" or "myth" that Western man continues to hand down to his progeny, as he has for two millennia by now. This is a fact having unquestioned historical basis -- and so Genesis is worth knowing if only for that reason. It lays out the basic issues extraordinarily well and in a manner that people of all ages and backgrounds can grasp -- even little kids.
Their work is published and reviewed by others. Anyone can study the material if he has doubts about its authenticity. I have confidence in the system because it works. In effect, they say: "Here's the evidence we have, and here are our conclusions." That's fine with me. That's what should be presented to children in school. If they want to study the material in depth, there are libraries. And if they want to become specialists in a scientific field, that's what universities are for. As for Genesis, we all start out with that. Not a problem.