High Schoolers Don't Know History...Surprise!

Well, the U. S. Department of [mis]Education continues unabated on its triumphal march toward the total educational lobotomization of America's school children. A recent National Assessment of Educational Progress report has revealed that less than half of America's high school seniors have even a rudimentary grasp of U.S. history and what the events therein were all about. According to an Associated Press release: "Only 43% of 12th graders had at least a basic understanding of U.S. history, unchanged from 1994, the last time the test was given." So, with all the millions these educrats have spent in the years since 1994, there is no improvement. Kind of makes you wonder what the money went for doesn't it?

Diane Ravitch, a historian and education professor from New York University is a member of the test's governing board. She has quite succinctly noted that "Clearly our high schools are failing to teach U.S. history well and to awaken mature students to the value of history as a study that matters deeply in their own lives and in the life of our nation." Ravitch has labeled the recent set of test scores for high schoolers as "truly abysmal." According to an article in USA Today "On the test: 57% of seniors could not perform even at the basic level. 32% performed at the basic level...One per cent were advanced or superior." So, what this all amounts to is that our high school seniors don't really know diddly about their history or heritage and have no concept at all of how this affects their lives, or how it will affect the lives of their children some day if they don't wake up and smell the coffee. I realize that the first emotional response to these test results will come from parents who've had their heads in the sand for years. They will now moan about the test scores. Many of them will be Christians and/or conservatives to whom ignorance has been bliss. And their first gut-level response will be "This is just terrible. Our kids don't know their history [as if very many of the parents even know it.] We've just got to find some way to spend more money for quality education so our kids won't grow up ignorant." Might I be so presumptuous as to suggest that this is exactly the response the government education establishment desires from you? No matter how much of a boondoggle they have made of the charade we call 'public education,' they are always able and willing to let the con-game continue as long as they can continue to play the public for suckers and keep the cash flowing. I can see it even now - calls from somewhere deep within the bowels of the federal education establishment for programs to 'improve' our student's history scores. We'll have to have scores of new history 'facillators' and new textbooks that will make our history seem more 'relevant' to our high schoolers. Of course all this will cost a bundle - but hey, aren't the kids worth it? And, as the naive American public goes for it, hook, line, and sinker, these educational hucksters will be laughing up their sleeves all the way to the bank! Let's honestly face it, if over half of our high school seniors are that ignorant of their history and heritage, IT IS NO ACCIDENT.

The governmental education establishment has labored mightily for decades to create a student that is basically dead from the neck up - a student incapable of thinking on his own, of reasoning on his own, and one that will respond emotionally, without rational thought, when the right psychological buttons are pushed, exactly the way the system wants him to. The education establishment does not want thinking, reasoning, questioning students. Such students often raise issues that the history books have purposely ignored or buried. Why do you think the establishment hates home schoolers as they do? It is precisely because the home schooled kids will not think or react in the same manner as the government school clones do. Therefore, they will be an irritant to the system - the fly in the buttermilk, if you will. When was the last time anyone saw an American History book that dealt honestly with all the varied reasons for the War of Northern Aggression? Don't all answer at once, now. And, even in the home school and Christian school Movements, how many really good history books exist? Not nearly enough. None of the 'history' books I've seen even comes close, except a couple older reprints that hardly anyone ever sees and they will only ever reach a small minority.

So those people that are genuinely concerned about their kids being able to learn proper American history already have two strikes against them. There are very few decent history books out there for the kids to learn from. Just about all the material I've seen from government schools that passes for history is nothing more than a multicultural abomination and far removed from the truth. Better the kids shouldn't even attempt to learn some of that! Unless a sizable segment of our Christian conservative folks begins to wake up to what the government education system is really all about and firmly decides to take their children and secede from it, nothing will change, except to get worse. And we may, at some point down the road, in a few decades, be graduating from our government brain laundries students that are, at best, dithering idiots, capable of nothing more than flipping burgers at the local greasy spoon.

In the early 19th century in this country, Christians mostly abandoned the Christian schools in favor of partaking of the 'new' government education system started and promoted b Horace Mann, Robert Owen, and an entire plethora of Unitarians and socialists. It was educational apostasy - and many Christians willingly partook. Maybe now, the chickens are coming home to roost. Worse yet, maybe judgement is coming upon us because of our educational apostasy.

How old are YOU ?

I'm not in my 60's, but was in high school on the 50's and early 60's. I had four solid years of history classes; from two dealing with American history, to one each of ancient history and World ( mostly European ) history. Yes, that was private school ; however, I had friends who went to public and parochial schools and they all took the same courses . In public grammar school, history, and YES geography used to be taught and taught thoroughly. The first few grades weren't in much depth. By the 4th grade ( world history, and not to shabbily done , BTW ) we were getting more specifics, 5th grade was USA history and geography ( and in MORE depth than I bet you got in college... if you ever went to one ) , 6th was South America ( with geography again ! ) , 7th was European and REALLY hitting it hard, with 8th grade back to USA and heavy on the documents, leaders , ecconomy, wars. It's been many decades ago, but from 5th grade, I can still place every state, know the major waterways, cities, state capitals, some flags, birds, flowers, nicknames ( Pa. is the Cornerstone state : - ) ), and what products they were known for in the '50's.

My mother used to grumble that she was taught more. She was; I used to read her old text books, as a kid, for fun. So, dear, don't talk about that which you only know about anecdotally, from a funny story. It just may be apocraphol.

Many of the younger guides and docents at these sites are so arrogant, that I suspect they wouldn't even recognize a poignant bit of sarcasm from some 20-60 years their senior.

It doesn't surprise me if there are stories about misguided seniors from such a generation. This doesn't imply lack of knowledge of the senior.

With respect to geography, I've been dumbfounded to bump into high school graduates who are unable to discern locations of countries even in the same continent, or confusing cities for states, nations for states, and even the location of oceans....(by the sea would be more intelligent an answer than some I've heard).

One justification for property taxes to fund education systems is a social law. Generally, the society as a whole will become more efficient with a better educated populous. Another asserts the higher average normalized education, the better quality of social structure will emerge able to base its decisions on more enlightened understanding of pertinent issues. I have seen cases where the lack of a higher educational norm does result in poor decisions and a lower standard of living. I have also seen cases where a lack of education, still fails to prevent an illiterate faithful person from being joyful or living a more fruitful life than the 'enlightened'.

In the 40s-60s it still wasn't too uncommon to have 1 in 30 people unable to read or perhaps write in the workforce. In the 80s, I suspect the number was closer to one in 200. Today, I wouldn't be surprised if the number wasn't back to 1 in 10 for the younger generations.

Seems as though irresponsible leadership emerged in the mid60s-70s which promoted using the educational system as a direct conduit to mold younger minds into personal liberal political agendas, institutionally.

An interesting sidenote....there are some rigorous Bible doctrinal positions which hold that the ONLY Scripturally justified institution is the Church. The doctrine goes further to add that ANY other man made institution as a product of man's will independent from God's will becomes a devise within the plans of the Adversary. The consequences of these institutional works happen to provide some interesting confirmation that any system outside of God's will results in unfavorable product. Doesn't mean one shouldn't bear their own burden, but the consequences of these magnificent atheistic institutions seem to prove their inefficacy as reliable institutions.

Frst of all, I was NOT " bragging " on myself " ( sic ) , as you so smarmily claim. I was just laying out what the curriculum was in N.Y.C. schools in the 1950's. Secondly, I am NOT in my 60's; I'm NOT even 60 yet ! You can't do ath and have extremely poor reading comprehension skills.

I almost never pick on someone's grammar or spelling ; however, since you have decided to smear me, for absolutely no reason, using FALSE assimption, perhaps you will take the following with good grace and learn something to boot. You say you were " amazed " of " . It is amazed AT . Then you later typed : " or have how many myths and legends they believe are true." This isn't English ! " Or have how many .... " ? I'm not even ging to try to attempt to make that into correct English. Now, yet another : " the questions of the guides " . This should be : the guides' questions.

Just because someone is old , doesn't mean that they are intelligent, nor even well educated, any more than the same is true for someone who is middleaged or young. There are unfortunately more stupid, ill educated people, than the other kind. What IS true, though, is that all schools used to do a much better job of teaching the children in their care, than is done today. Your miniscule anecdotal example is specious; at best, dear.

First of all, I was NOT " bragging " on myself " ( sic ) , as you so smarmily claim. I was just laying out what the curriculum was in N.Y.C. schools in the 1950's. Secondly, I am NOT in my 60's; I'm NOT even 60 yet ! You can't do math and have extremely poor reading comprehension skills.

I almost never pick on someone's grammar or spelling ; however, since you have decided to smear me, for absolutely no reason, using FALSE assumption, perhaps you will take the following with good grace and learn something to boot. You say you were " amazed " of " . It is amazed AT . Then you later typed : " or have how many myths and legends they believe are true." This isn't English ! " Or have how many .... " ? I'm not even ging to try to attempt to make that into correct English. Now, yet another : " the questions of the guides " . This should be : the guides' questions.

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