Failure of Public Education, again

[SuperScout]

Despite wall-to-wall coverage of the damage from Hurricane Katrina, nearly one-third of young Americans recently polled couldn't locate Louisiana on a map and nearly half were unable to identify Mississippi.

Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 fared even worse with foreign locations: six in 10 couldn't find Iraq, according to a Roper poll conducted for National Geographic. "Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from the world," National Geographic President John Fahey said in announcing a program to help remedy the problem. It's hoping to enlist businesses, nonprofit groups and educators in a bid to improve geographic literacy.

Planned is a five-year, multimedia campaign called 'My Wonderful World' that will target children 8 to 17. The goal is to motivate parents and educators to expand geographic offerings in school, at home and in their communities. They will have their task cut out for them, judging by the results of the survey of 510 persons interviewed in December and January.

Among the findings:
?One-third of respondents couldn't pinpoint Louisiana on a map and 48 percent were unable to locate Mississippi.
?Fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news and just 14 percent believe speaking another language is a necessary skill.
?Two-thirds didn't know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
?Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.
?While the outsourcing of jobs to India has been a major U.S. business story, 47 percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.
?While Israeli-Palestinian strife has been in the news for the entire lives of the respondents, 75 percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.
?Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.
?Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.

Joining in the effort to improve geographic knowledge will be the 4-H, American Federation of Teachers, Asia Society, Association of American Geographers, National Basketball Association, National Council of La Raza, National PTA and the Smithsonian Institution among others. "Geography exposes children and adults to diverse cultures, different ideas and the exchange of knowledge from around the world," said Anna Marie Weselak, president of the National PTA. "This campaign will help make sure our children get their geography -- so they can become familiar with other cultures during their school years and move comfortably and confidently in a global economy as adults."

[Boats]

Scout - I remember when I went to school I had to get up at 5:30 AM catch a bus at 6:20 AM and be in my desk at 7:10 AM everyday.

Today kids go to school and are home just shortly after lunch. I can see why kids today don't know much since they are not given the time they need to absorb the incoming data. One hour classes on a subject are unheard of today. 20 minutes and they are off onto another subject. Not all kids learn that fast. I was one.

They don't have 1/2 of the school activities that we use to. Very few have any more gym or exercise programs and they wonder why the kids are putting on the pounds.

Parents can no longer have to working spouses without having to pay for a full time nurse or babysitter to watch them. Like I said I was out and on the bus at 6:20 AM and home about 5:45 PM when dropped off - unless I had sports or some other activity after class.

Memorization and indepth education are things of the past they expect these kids and their parents to do much of the self education and research themselves. Yet these teachers want big bucks because they are so overwhelmed. Yea right.

Younger kids really need attention early on 1-5th are critical and then 6th to 12th becomes more difficult to keep their attention. The education system needs to get a better handle on these kids and their needs not just blame us for their demise of late.

[SuperScout]

Roger your last. I'll wager that you had at least one test that required you to name every state in the nation on a blank map, then to list the respective state capitals. I'll also wager that 80% of the government-funded school children couldn't pass that test today. It's little wonder that most of the winners of spelling bees, geography bees, and other objective tests of learning are either home-schooled children or private-schooled children. The Department of Education at the national level is one of the biggest wastes of taxpayer dollars in history.

[Advisor]

What is the purpose of 'education.' If you listen to all the ads for colleges & follow the discussions about 'education', you will find that they are all geared to enabling the student to get a 'good job', advance their career, change their career, yada yada yada. Never once do you hear that maybe, just maybe, the purpose of education should (might) be to help the individual become a thinking, productive citizen...a complete human being. No, most education is really 'job training', and the attitude seems to be that if something isn't relavant to getting a job, blah blah blah, it is just not worth knowing. Sad, really.

[Boats]

Advisor - well said - and you are right!

[Seascamp]

It?s not sure it?s even that good, if asked, ?How many degrees in a circle?? the vast majority of High School Seniors could offer up no more than a blank stare. Seems as if they are schooled on the dark side of the moon in some ?other? topic. Last I checked, the world is still round and some knowledge of how things are devided up and called would seem relavent.

And I?m not sure it?s getting any better at the University level. Had a West Coast University ?Engineering Grad? that couldn?t answer that simple question as part of a job interview process. Methinks someone got a free, free, ride or ?purchased? some official ?U? digits and stats. We?re talking a big name State University, not UNR or UNLV, so that was a very enlightening but bitterly disappointing experience.

Scamp

[Keith_Hixson]

In my circle I have a degree or two.

Some of the guys have Bachelor Degrees and a few Masters.

Or did you mean 360 degrees.

Maybe the poor young man was confused.

Keith

Sorry Scamp: Just my deviant humor.

[Seascamp]

Very good, Keith, I like that. But in reality it?s really a matter of degrees azimuth and elevation, right, so I guess the rest isn?t so important, I figure.
Sure, a circle is known to have 360 degrees, but circum ambulation can rack up 720, 1080, etc. etc., fairly quickly. Check out our own US Senate, talk about circum ambulators. :ek:

And yes, the poor lad was mighty perplexed that a verbal test and short presentation of a favorite thesis topic was requested. Maybe really shy or something, so I passed him to another interviewer to talk too, one that isn?t so nice and indirect about things, like me.

scamp

[Jerry D]

In the early 70's in grade school around 5th or 6th grade we would split the class and do geography drills and State Capitols to make it fun learning the States and their Capitols. Me was the smart one and our side usually won I used to be able to take a blank paper and draw the US and place the capitols aprox where they were located on the map by memory Vermont and New Hampshire them two where the only ones that would confuse me on their location. Makes one wonder when a Kid can't find Louisiana, when I hope they had to learn about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase!

[Rebelwitho]

Scout your right. It is sad state of affairs. I will give you a good example. Where I live 4 teachers from each of the 7 schools were laid off and courses were cut such as accounting and some computer classes due to budget cuts, but after this was done they spent 16.5 million on a new football stadium and this is high school. One of the problems is no accountability and not enough parents have the guts enough to stand up and say hey enough is enough. Now having a great sports complex is nice, but I got a news flash for them. Children will have a better chance in this world with a good education not who has the best football field. After all isn't that what the school system is in business for and that education.