What Our High School Students Know About America...All By Design....

[twyacht]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/this-video-of-teens-failing-miserably-at-a-civics-quiz-is-so-depressing-its-funny/



‘53’ States? Video of Teens Failing Miserably at a Civics Quiz Is So Depressing It’s Funny

    Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:36am by Jonathon M. Seidl

Lunch Scholars Video Shows Students Cant Answer History QuestionsDid you know that “bin Laden” is the vice president of the United States, or that the Civil War led to America’s independence? How about that Canada’s a state?

Well, that’s what some local students at (what appears to be) a Washington state high school think. In a video that’s probably a few hours from going viral, a young man decided to question classmates for a video called “Lunch Scholars.” It is anything but scholarly. HuffPo explains:

    Austin, an intrepid young student-reporter, embarks on the noble mission of answering the question, “How much basic knowledge do American high school students really have?” The answer, however, may not be exactly what you want to hear.

    “Do you know the vice president of the United States?” Austin asks.

    “I don‘t know who it it’s, it’s, it’s somebody….Bin Ladin,” one student responds.

    The video continues in similar fashion, asking everything from, “In what war did America gain independence?” (which no one answered correctly without a hint) to “What countries border America?”

By the way, one student says there are 51 states. Maybe he is friends with the girl who thinks Canada is one of them.

HuffPo may have said it best: “If there was ever a movie to make you laugh to keep from crying, it’s this one.”

Let the laughing, and crying, begin:

Hillbuzz blog, however, isn’t laughing, and used the video to go after teachers’ unions:

    Why do teachers’ unions claim they deserve more pay and endless benefits when this is the result of their “hard work” in the classroom?

    I can just hear the teachers’ union reps consoling the kids who thought there were 51 stars on the American flag (you know, for all 51 states): “It’s okay Brendan, you can try again. We are all winners here.  There are no right or wrong answers. You said there were 51 stars, but if you can think up an extra 6 stars you too can be president some day”.

******

Academia at it's finest.....

[Ichiban]

That was just too painful to watch to the end.   

A bunch of future Democratic voters.

[Conagher 45]

I cannt take it!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

[PegLeg45]

We're doomed......DOOMED, I tell you!!!!!

[tombogan03884]

Blaming the " Govt. schools" is a cowardly cop out.
Even the Soviet Union turned out world class scientists and engineers.
The problem is with lazy students with no curiosity.

[Sponsor]

[Magoo541]

Blaming the " Govt. schools" is a cowardly cop out.
Even the Soviet Union turned out world class scientists and engineers.
The problem is with lazy students with no curiosity.

Not true, look at home schooled kids, like yourself, and private school graduates.  What is the difference?  Human nature is lazy at its core but requiring kids to learn the fundamentals requires committed teachers.  So I suggest it is lazy teachers that teach the competency tests that the teachers are evaluated by instead of teaching what the students need to know which should be covered by the tests.

[santahog]

Laziness is a given. They are teenagers, after all.. It's (lack of) expectations, maybe consequences for not knowing the information.. The gov't runs the schools that don't expect students to learn, or administer (negative) consequences for not learning it. Notice they arent' all failing students, unless that was a fifth grade lunch room.. Teachers (paid by who?) don't teach, and are protected for not doing so. Parents know neither the information nor situation, many times..
Dispute me on that if you will, but I took over a private clubs restaurant back in the early 90s, and HALF, HALF the applicants couldn't sign their own names.. This wasn't an inner city, either.. It was the North Georgia Mountains area.. (Not too far from the rabid cow..)

[Timothy]

This has been going on for a few generations now.  I know plenty of 20, 30, 40 and 50 somethings that know about as much as these kids.  I gave the citizenship test to several college grads last year where I worked.  Not a single one could answer 50 percent of the questions.

[PegLeg45]

It's a combination of things with no one single entity to blame.

Lazy parents....
Lazy students......
Lazy teachers.........
Gov't standards (on all levels) continuing to drop curriculum requirements..........


If a child is naturally gifted with an equal combination of intelligence, curiosity, and drive, they will excel in spite of odds....I've seen it.

This has been going on for a few generations now.  I know plenty of 20, 30, 40 and 50 somethings that know about as much as these kids.  I gave the citizenship test to several college grads last year where I worked.  Not a single one could answer 50 percent of the questions.

Yep.

[tombogan03884]

Your elected officials don't do any better.