Posted on 04/30/2003 6:37:27 AM PDT by yankeedame
Survey Says
A National Geographic study released [in November] found that only about one in seven Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could find Iraq [on a map]. Although 58% knew that the Taliban and al Qaeda were based in Afghanistan, only 17% could find that country.
The survey asked 56 geographic and current events questions of young people in nine countries.
Americans got an average of 23 correct answers. Mexico ranked last with an average score of 21. Topping the scoring was Sweden, with an average of 40, followed by Germany and Italy, each with 38.
Other findings: When asked to find 10 specific states on a map of the U.S., only California and Texas could be located by a large majority. Only 51% could find New York.
On a world map, Americans could find on average only 7 of 16 countries in the quiz. Only 89% of the Americans surveyed could find their own country.
Only 71% of the surveyed Americans could locate the Pacific Ocean.
--Paul Recer, Associated Press
(And, while we're on the subject this from USA Today/Forbes)
"No idea in politics has hurt children more than the false and misleading idea that the quality of education is determined by how much we spend.
"More than 35 years after Congress passed the first Elementary and Secondary Education Act, public school spending per pupil has more than doubled--even when adjusted for inflation--from $3,331 in 1965-1966 to $8,194 in 2000-2001.
" In fact, the federal government has spent more than $321 billion on education programs since 1965. Every year, spending on K-12 education by all levels of government exceeds $400 billion.
"Yet, citizens must ask, what have we gotten for all this? Fewer than a third of fourth-graders can read proficiently.
"No, the problem isn't--and never has been--money alone. This is just the most tired of all excuses. If there is no account-ability, or schools use unproven fads for instruction, it doesn't matter how much money is thrown at a problem; it will be wasted."
--Rod Paige, Secretary of Education
Not surprisingly only 62% of Americans could find their butt with both hands.
Quick you have five seconds to find: Burkina Faso, Tonga, Moldovia, The Artist Who Used To Be Baghdad Bob, Lichtenstein, Diego Garcia, The Iraqi Republic of France, Canuckland, Eritrea and Cleveland.
Ok got it. I failed to distinguish between federal and all levels of government.
It has to do with standards, inspiration, and personal will/responsibility.
It's all fun and games until the best-run corporation in the world builds the most technologically advanced weapon ever known, and the best military in the history of mankind drops it on the wrong building in Yugoslavia.
More crap on the pile: Mothra is on the wing, and she's five miles from giving Kyoto a large helping of "better luck next life."
Yes: 1)DemocRAT'S kids.
2)Republican's kids.
3)Libertarian kids.
Take the National Geographic Global Literacy Survey!
11/21/2002 12:33 AM CST with 112 comments
Young Canadians barely know geography, National Geographic survey says
11/20/2002 10:28 PM CST with 4 comments
Young Americans flunk geography, according to National Geographic quiz survey
11/20/2002 1:50 PM CST with 61 comments
I always wondered why history credited him for the discovery of the Pacific Ocean when there were plenty of people on the Pacific islands and in Central and South America who went fishing in it every day.
I guess Balboa was a liberal and therefore the media of that time had to give him the credit. It's like the 'balanced budget'...the media contends that Clinton invented it (after vetoing it twice).
It's a good thing the kids are too stupid to understand percentages, they might be momentarily insulted by your statement before confusing themselves about what's going on.
Really? Of my four grown nephews, I'd guess you might find one who could find it and I wouldn't doubt that it would be entirely by a "lucky" guess. Seriously.
Assuming that a single mistake in targeting is attributable to the general level of geographical education in the US (a hilariously improbable stretch), are you suggesting that a Swede or a Frenchman could have done better?
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