Scary Stuff

by Farkel 93 Replies latest jw friends

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    Today's High School Students in the USA:

    Less than 1/2 of them cannot identify the century when our Civil War happened.

    One in four thought Columbus discovered America sometime after 1750.

    One in three cannot name one right enumerated in the Bill of Rights.

    Three out of four cannot name the first US President.

    Two out of three do not know the length of term of a member of the House of Representatives.

    Half cannot find Britain on a map.

    One out of four cannot find America on a map.

    When my oldest daughter, who is now a physician was in 9th grade in this once-great State of California, I asked her about the three branches of our Federal Government. She was clueless and told me she would take civics in her junior year in high school. I told her I learned about the three branches in 5th grade.

    I knew then our education system was doomed and failing our children. That was 30 years ago. It is much worse now.

    After four years and about $40,000, a student gets a college degree and a huge debt. Most of them after all of that did not even get the HS education I received. Many of them end up slinging burgers. Many jobs at minimum wage or a little more require a college education. Why? At least the companies who are hiring feel, the applicants can read and speak decent English is their answer.

    What has happened here?

    Farkel

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    Yeah old people reckon the world's going to hell in a handcart. What's new?

  • prologos
    prologos

    farkel, wt wants to curtail even that for it's ideal members.

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    slimboyfat,

    : Yeah old people reckon the world's going to hell in a handcart. What's new?

    What you lack in age, wisdom and experience, you make up with it with youth, foolishness and inexperience.

    If I would have been 21 and offered the facts that I offered, would it be more truthful than it was when I offered it?

    Farkel

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    A 21 year old generally has better perspective on the world than to imagine that knowing or not knowing who George Washington was is the be all and end all of everything.

  • darthfader
    darthfader

    I think the point Farkle is trying to make isn't about the specific facts he listed, but a general knowledge deficit in US education. This general knowledge translates into better mind by providing a wider perspective on things.

    The challenge I see today, is that the "memory of facts" is less important than figuring out how to find those facts. In a time (20+ years ago) facts were not readily available, unless you went to a library and did card catalog searches etc. Today almost all of the facts of the world are available at our fingertips. Knowing these facts outright is replaced by knowing how to find them. This translates int the mind into a different conceptal model of the world. The impact of this is yet to be determined....

    http://www.livescience.com/15044-internet-google-influence-learning-memory.html

  • barry
    barry

    I went to California for my holidays and while there and watching the news on TV the content was all about America. Being Australian and haveing been used to news from all over the world I just had the feeling that not only did Australia not exist but it seemed the rest of the world didn't exist either. I also understand the education in the states is a bit different because you study about the world starting from your own town and district in the early years and as you go up in grades you study more about th erest of the world only in higher grades. This is where there is a great divergence with us over here in Australia because we study at least when I was at school about the whole world and because of our culture we study the British empire including the Boston Tea party and the war of independance from Britain

  • GromitSK
    GromitSK

    Those who do not remember the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them, as the saying goes.

  • Narcissistic Supply
    Narcissistic Supply

    what barry said.

  • HarryMac
    HarryMac

    For the sake of playing both sides of the argument.

    Other reasons for hiring young people with university degrees:

    They're not as afraid to do some of that research and dig around... not expecting all answers to everything handed to them on some perfectly designed job description.

    Also, unless you were raised in some education bashing cult (hehe)... Why don't you have a degree? Is it because your parents weren't effective role models? Did you grow up less than ideally? I'm I going to have to pay for your parents sins indirectly? Am I willing to take that risk?

    That said, I really hope these stats are overstated, I really do.

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