Posted on 11/02/2025 12:53:00 PM PST by DFG
Teachers at nine high schools in northeastern Australia discovered days before an ancient history exam that they had mistakenly taught their students about the wrong Roman ruler — Augustus Caesar instead of his predecessor, Julius Caesar.
The students in Queensland ended up being exempt from the statewide exam on Wednesday while Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said he would investigate the mix-up, describing the experience for the students as "extremely traumatic."
Since the error in the curriculum was discovered on Monday, schools applied — and were granted — an exemption from the exam for their students, even as panicked high schoolers were cramming about Julius Caesar's exploits as a Roman general and statesman.
"I'm very unhappy about the situation," Langbroek told reporters in announcing that the 140 seniors affected by the mix-up would not have to sit the exam.
Langbroek said he would ensure those students were "not disadvantaged in any way."
Still, the incident brought a wave of criticism.
Parents complained that the panic created around the ancient history exam had distracted their children from preparing for other exams, including an earlier exam on Wednesday.
The exam amounts to 25% of the students' marks for the year. The students who were exempted from the test on Wednesday would be given credit based on their assessment for the remaining 75% of their marks.
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority said it had told the state's 180 high schools two years ago that the ancient history exam topic would change to Julius Caesar in 2025. The topic had been Augustus Caesar for the previous four years.
Seniors?? Hearing about (either) Caesar for the first time?
Teaching to the test days before it is to be taken?
I gather the school system is clueless as to how damning this story is. Incapable of embarrassment.
Cesar Chavez, the prominent leftist opposed to Mexican immigrants is the one who came to my mind.
A real black mark if they had chosen Nero.
Sid Caesar was a lot funnier than Julius.
Actually probably half of them can name one.
There have been several TV series set in Rome with lots of sex and gore. Which is apparently how we learn history any more.
Latin I
Latin II
Latin III
Caesar/Cicero
Vergil
Catullus/Horace
AP Tests
8 Credits on College Transcript
The level of ignorance required to confuse those two Roman leaders is pretty epic.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... It seems that nine high schools in northeastern Australia didn't get (or read) the memo.
In a very twisted sort of way.
The mercy of Caesar.
Pizza! Pizza!
They probably don’t know that two summer months were inserted into the calendar that were named after Julius and Augustus. That’s why the “numbered” months are off by two.
Exactly. Entirely the fault of the staff that they presented the wrong information and didn’t even comprehend that there is a difference between Augustus and Julius. SMH
We even read Julius Caesar in the original language.
How can you teach one without at least passing coverage of the other?
Yep.
“Studying the wrong Caesar gets high school seniors out of a history exam”
Doesn’t matter. In 50 years their new conquerers (today called ‘refugees’) will get rid of ALL studies involving Western societies.
I was about to say, that “Cesar” is almost always mentioned in American Propaganda Education books over any Caesar.
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