are kids really this ignorant?

[crankylex]

This is just about the saddest thing I've read in a while.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/index.html

GEOGRAPHY SURVEY

* Thirty-three percent of respondents couldn't pinpoint Louisiana on a map.

* Fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news and just 14 percent believe speaking another language is a necessary skill.

* Two-thirds didn't know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.

* Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

* Forty-seven percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.

* Seven-five percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.

* Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.

* Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world.

* Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.

::boggles::

I admit to being a little iffy on the Mid-West US, but come ON!

Comments

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

I must admit that I'm not that great anymore on pinpointing countries, but I'd get in the general vicinity. In my defense, it's been nearly 30 years since I took geography and traced maps. *g*

It really boggles my mind that people can't find India. Now, Lichtenstein I can understand, but a country that big?!

And, yeah, the Mexican border is so tight we have no illegals crossing over. *rolls eyes*

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

It is pretty sad. But then again, if we don't teach our kids this stuffy, how can we expect them to know it? The only reason I was ever good at geography was because of games my father used to play with my brother and me when we were kids. We certainly didn't learn it in school.

I'd like to think that this study will make an impact, but it's not the first of it's kind and we're still in the same boat. I guess people just don't feel that knowledge of geography is important to have.

[deoradhainexile.livejournal.com]

"On the positive side, the study noted, seven in 10 young Americans correctly located China on a map"

My gosh that's scary! Now I admit that geography was not my subject but I could find all those countries. And my 4 year old cousin knows where China is on a map. China isn't exactly small!