Epic fail: HS students unable to name current veep and other horror stories
posted at 2:24 pm on February 4, 2012 by Howard Portnoy
If Diogenes was right—that the foundation of every state is the education of its youth—then the U.S. is in far greater danger of crumbling than anyone realizes.
A video making the rounds titled Lunch Scholars provides a candid glimpse into the sobering state of our educational system. The creator and narrator, a high school student named Austin, explains at the outset that his goal is “to put the bright young minds of our student body to the test.”
“The test,” as it turns out, is a handful of the most rudimentary American history and civics questions imaginable. The answers, if not surprising, are dispiriting.
When asked to identify the current vice president of the United States, students answer variously George Bush, Bill Clinton, and “somebody bin Laden.” Two different students say the Civil War is the way in which the U.S. gained its independence.
I could provide more examples but then I would need to add a spoiler alert.
That the system is broken goes without saying, but the sad reality is that the students in the video are hardly in a class by themselves. Judging from the tenuous grasp on our nation’s past exhibited by many Washington pols, it is conceivable that at least some of these clueless teens are destined to be our country’s future leaders.
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Epic fail? Hardly! They’ll all get at least C’s.
Although it was kind of embarrassing to hear the kid talking about 51 stars on the flag for 51 states… how is it even possible to forget the other six?
Mr. Prodigy on February 4, 2012 at 2:33 PM
Hmmm, sounds to me like Jimmy’s gasbag, the Dept of Education isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Pass / Fail so our kids will have better self esteem.
Multiple correct answers so that no one fails.
Awards for breathing in class so that no one feels hurt.
No mention of valedictorian at graduation so that no one feels bad.
Politcal charged curriculum instead of the basics. We’re well on our way to third world country status.
nor on February 4, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Well, most of them realized how dumb they were being so give them some points for that. Looking for a silver lining.
jeanie on February 4, 2012 at 2:55 PM
Gee whiz! You mean “life” doesn’t grade on a curve?
oldleprechaun on February 4, 2012 at 3:16 PM
It’s not only the students. Remember the video of people being asked about Sarah Palin being the VP for Obummer and they were “Oh yeah. Like her” What a bunch of dummies. There were some other good ones. People were just so drunk on koolaid they did not know what was going on during the election. Pffft!
chickie on February 4, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Wait, I thought there were 57 states…
seriously though, these students probably are considered some of the above average ones. I work with the “successful” ones that make it to college and they are not much better. Don’t get me started on basic grammar and reading comprehension skills.
theblackcommenter on February 4, 2012 at 4:14 PM
This one made me laugh out loud:
Q: Name a country that starts with the letter “U”.
A: Utopia.
Buy Danish on February 4, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Jay-Walking a la Leno.
It is a sad state of affairs, and a solid indictment of the NEA-beholden, so-called teachers who have the responsibility, along with parents, to make sure that their charges have, at the very least, an adequate education. With the recourses available, adequacy seems a very low bar, but we can’t even seem to make it over that dismally small measure.
Those with so little knowledge are being deprived of a solid foundation upon which to build their future, and it is a horrible thing to inflict on anyone.
hillbillyjim on February 4, 2012 at 4:56 PM
I bet these dimwits know the names of all members of the Kardashian family and the cast of Jersey Shore.
I have a few neices and nephews and it amazes me how utterly stupid and opinionated they and their friends are about subjects and people they know absolutely nothing about. And they are not even aware of their stupidity !!
burrata on February 4, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Let’s hope they’re too dumb to find their voting precinct this November or we’ll get Obama again.
SpiderMike on February 4, 2012 at 5:23 PM
I live in Florida, home of the national scandal-producing FCAT test, which prevents high school students from graduating if they cannot pass it.
There was a kerfluffle a few years back with some black students who could not pass even the most basic parts, students who were functionally illiterate, students who managed to get pushed up to each successive grade (I cannot fathom how), with all sorts of liberal groups claiming that school was more about teaching children how to socialize than educating them, and thus they should simply be graduated since they survived the social construct of high school, as opposed to achieving passing grades in enough subjects to warrant a high school diploma.
And yet they want more money funneled to the teacher’s unions. They see stuff like this, studies which place our school toward the bottom of lists, and yet they claim the system is not broken and that there are still a few good people left in the system, therefore we shouldn’t tear it down and start anew?
How can they be so anti-science?
mintycrys on February 4, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Future Romney voters.
tom daschle concerned on February 5, 2012 at 12:54 AM
that blew the myth of the oriental being super smart right out of the water.
Your Mamma loves me on February 5, 2012 at 11:38 AM
The oriental is suffering from exposure to the American education system. Oriental students overseas are running circles around ours, and have been for decades.
MelonCollie on February 5, 2012 at 7:36 PM
Spawn is a high school senior. He is more politically aware/knowledgeable than many adults…course-consider who he has for a momma. LoL
annoyinglittletwerp on February 6, 2012 at 10:28 AM
But at least they’re with their peer group, and thats paramount. Don’t want to make anyone standout, you know. That might cause stress.
BobMbx on February 6, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Was “Bite me” considered a right or wrong answer to name the current VP?
dentarthurdent on February 6, 2012 at 1:05 PM