Sarah's Take on History

[Digit]

know why.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... blame.html

Roy.

[Minimalist]

She's apparently not alone, Dig.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/14/national/main20071097.shtml

U.S. students don't know much about American history, according to results of a national test released Tuesday.

Just 13 percent of high school seniors who took the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress — called the Nation's Report Card — showed solid academic performance in American history. The two other grade levels tested didn't perform much better, which just 22 percent of fourth-grade students and 18 percent of eighth-graders scoring proficient or better.

[Digit]

It's the same over here Min, I'm sorry to say.

Roy.

[Minimalist]

You Brits have a lot more history to learn. American kids have NO excuse!

[dannan14]

You Brits have a lot more history to learn. American kids have NO excuse!

Well, the kids actually do have an excuse. It's called school systems coaching kids to pass standardized tests instead of teaching them to think.

[Digit]

Yep! So they end up knowing that William the Conqueror won the Crown in 1066 then they move on to Elizabeth the first followed by WW1 with no continuity in between.
Many of the teachers are as badly educated so what can we expect?

Roy.

[Minimalist]

I can remember when teaching was considered a noble profession....instead of the secondary, political-football, career it has morphed into.

[Digit]

Me too!

Roy.