Last Thursday Thom brought up the idea that American high school students don't learn about modern American history such as the Vietnam War. I would like to back that up by saying that I graduated from a high school that is ranked in the top 30 high schools in Illinois. Although I learned about American history three times before I graduated high school (5th, 8th, and 10th grade), I did not learn about any thing after World War II. We may have skimmed over a few topics in the last week of school but nothing was seriously taught. I think part of this is because the teachers take it for granted that many of them lived through these events and don't realize the kids they are teaching don't have the slightest idea about the. I think it is rather sad that this is the current state of American education.
-Eric
Somewhat of a tangent, but I was traveling recently and discovered that everyone I've met has said their local schools rank in the top something of something. In my neighborhood, it was in the top 10 in the nation. I think this is just something schools come up with to make parents feel good and to get proper funding.
This is sort of of topic - but still relevant...
...In my middle school world history class I did an oral report on Cuba and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Before I got past saying the title of my report the "most intelligent" kid in my class blurted out, "Bay of Pigs Invasion? What? Was that fought on Old McDonald's Farm?"
I was left speechless by the shear stupidity of his ignorant and immature attention seeking comment. I glared at him, shrugged, then I looked at my teacher and said, "Should I continue?".
My history teacher smiled at me and said, "I think we both know you should."
The curriculum is likely a direct result of NCLB legislation, which ties funding to the standardized tests, which may not test recent history. Teaching the test is all that matters now.
Apparently high school
Apparently high school sludents don't study Civics or current events either. The idea that young people are interested in what is going on around them other that the "immediate pleasures" causes me to suspect that Vietnam becomes some place on a map that they have yet discover. In fact the BP thing, or the Haiti thing for that matter, are there because they see it in between the other things they watch on the television, when they watch television.
The other issue is that tea baggers and other activist neo-cons may have the kind of pressure on school boards that affect how things are taught. That means a teacher who deals with the recent past, or, Vietnam, might have a hard time with a school board member who "wants his job". Reminds me of the McCarthy days when a teacher offered a debate on the merits of Communism vs Capitalism and told us right out, that this could get him in trouble.
That probably explains how the erstwhile intelligent young uns who spout Ayn Randian foolishness talk the talk, and, by golly, there are people with enough money to sponsor them in the media. The Commons?! wazzat. Its the . . . of the failed system that, or so the teachers who were educated in the same intelligent elitist schools teach.
Somehow, I have feeling you are better off attending the Christian Schools where they still try to instill the values of tolerance and equality than the "good" schools where public service and integrity have lost ground.