Disappointed with education

I just took the latest citizenship test from the thread about could you pass it. It got me thinking about the lack of education in America.

First off I am a high school Senior due to graduate in 9 days. Second, while I don't take school as seriously as I probably should I do make sure that I am learning and not just going because I have to. I have a 3.84 atm and that will go up because its looking like I'm gonna get a 4.00 this semester. I am also going to Oregon State University next year and plan on studying Personal Training and Fitness with a double degree in Education.

So back to my story. I was in my American Government class the other day and we were learning about Foreign Policy. Normally I would be half paying attention in this class cause I already know most of what we are learning but the question the teacher asked got my attention. Not only that but the student's answer. My teacher asked the class what were some other countries that the United States was involved in. The only example the class could give was the conflict in Iran/Iraq/Afghanistan. I raised my hand and said that there was also Korea, Africa, Haiti, and many other places.

The girl sitting next to me leaned over and asked what was going on in Korea. So I asked her if she knew about the Korean War so that I could build off that since technically the two Koreas are still at war. She just looked at me and finally asked what the Korean War was. I was appalled and upon asking more questions she could hardly say what World War 2 was, thought that Hitler only killed people that weren't blonde or white, didn't know about Pearl Harbor or Nagasaki/Hiroshima, and was oblivious to the fact that this is not the first recession that America has been in (actually she didn't even know we were in a recession).

Anyways I just needed to rant for a little bit and get that off my chest. I hope that I'm not the only one who feels that students and citizens of the United States know nothing about their country.

 

I know how you feel man, I'm in the same position. I think it's just some people aren't willing to learn, ya know?

 

I guess it depends on the school you go to, I only missed 5 and that was my bad, at my school we have been going over this stuff for quite some time now.

 

i got an 80%, not as good as i'd like but not horrible

I know how you feel, It's even more sad when you see someone who goes to a private school whose tuition ranges close to 15,000$ a year. For example:

A girl i knew who went to said school once was unable to tell me where russia was.....

Really?!?! It's only the biggest country by landmass in the world!! People amaze me sometimes

 

I know what your saying. I graduate saturday. There are some people that shock you. Mine is after prom we went to the beach (galvaston). I was talking to this kid and he thought that the island was floating and just stayed in place. When I told him that the island is attached with soil and bed rock he was shocked. I was just plain sad.

 

Were doomed.

 

AAww I don't blame her for not knowing where Russia is, all tucked away down there.
lol

 

Know exactly what you mean. I was eating at Red Robin's last night with a few friends. I looked up and saw a framed picture of George Washington standing on a boat with other colonial looking people holding a flag, rowing across a river. I asked my friend if he knew what that picture is about, just curious if he knew the importance of that moment (I love learning history and already knew the answer).

Of course my friend had no clue. I spent the next three minutes explaining George Washington's crossing of the Delaware river and the surprise attack against the British that changed the Revolutionary War. I know... I'm a buzz kill aren't I? lol

If you love learning about that kind of stuff, I suggest watching "America: A story about us" on the History channel on Sunday nights.

 

that was a lot of reading so i decided not to read it and give my opinion anyway - i think education is amazing. without it we get a buncha jackoffs who spend time writing in threads on the internet without reading what the subject is all about. The end.

 

yeah, i dont like those people

 

I sucked at History, government, politics, geography, etc. I hated that crap.

So there-fore, the information they tried to force feed to me left my brain soon after the test.

Just because our students or people don't know anything about our goverment or even current events - doesn't make them bad people. Yeah, I was a Canadian and had to take the Naturalization test. I had to study for that thing and again, that information left my brain when I passed the test.

There are reasons why people go to college and that's to specialize in a career. A career means - getting experience & knowledge in that career. So when they can't tell you who the 10th president was....doesn't make them a bad person. And if HE/SHE asks you a specialized question about his/her career and you can't answer them.....doesn't make YOU a bad person either.

There are historians, politicians, geologists, and all those people who specialize in those areas for a reason, cuz they LIKE IT and want to do it.
My brain only holds so much (and it isn't much).

 

Just to add for clarification. The surprise attack was on the Hessians (German mercinaries) who the British gave responsibility to secure Trenton. They do an excellent reenactment of the events every year at Washingtons Crossing, the experience takes you right back in time to witness (as you said) the pivotal turning point in the Revolutionary War and our nations history.