A paragraph I took from the book I'm reading "Cry Havoc! The Great American Bring-down and How it Happened":
A recent survey of seniors at 55 leading colleges shows that 98% could identify the rap "artist" Snoop Doggy Dogg, but only 34% knew that George Washington was commander-in-chief during the War of Independence. A Department of Education study discloses that 50% of white college students and 80% of blacks could not use a bus schedule; 90% could not use a calculator; 57% could not reckon the change they should receive from $3.00 on a $2.55 check or calculate the tip; 42% could not put the American Civil War in the right century; and 35% did not know the difference between the European Reformation and our post-Civil War Reconstruction. Of those who had heard of the Reconstruction era, half placed it after World War II.
Where is this generation headed? Sad days.
Oh my gosh, that is just depressing... I'm so glad for parents and grandparents who like to teach history and basic life skills. Now, I can ID Snoop Dogg, too, lol but I sure know that the Civil War was from 1861-1865!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Sarah. This kind of stuff gives me that drive to want to teach my kids all this stuff someday. I don't want ignorant and senseless children. XD