Canadian Students: "Honest" Abe Lincoln was Canada's First Prime Minster

[Babbler]

Both these stories reminded me of Talisen's comment of the Afro-centric school's thread.

Canadians flunking history lesson
Fewer than half of young Canadians can name the country's first prime minister, Dominion Institute study finds

CAROLINE ALPHONSO

From Friday's Globe and Mail

November 9, 2007 at 1:38 AM EST

Toronto — Fewer than half of young Canadians can name the country's first prime minister and only one in four know the date of Confederation, according to a new study to be released today.

Despite efforts to educate young people about Canadian history, the Dominion Institute report found that little has changed since 1997, the last time the survey was conducted — prompting the organization to call on provinces to organize a national citizenship exam that would be a requirement for high-school graduation.

"We've not done as much as we might have hoped in terms of turning around Canadians' generally poor knowledge of their country's history," said Rudyard Griffiths, co-founder of the Dominion Institute.

"Politicians have to go beyond the obligatory speeches each Canada Day and Remembrance Day and actually put some of the machinery of government behind this problem and treat it just like any other challenge that we face as a country."

The national survey of 18- to 24-year-olds showed that only 46 per cent of respondents knew Sir John A. Macdonald was the first prime minister, down eight percentage points from a decade ago. And 38 per cent knew that Newfoundland was the last province to join Confederation, compared with 51 per cent in 1997.

But knowledge of military history appears to have increased: 37 per cent knew that Nov. 11 marks the end of the First World War, compared with 33 per cent who knew this fact 10 years ago.

In the study, 1,004 young people were asked 30 basic questions about Canada's past, identical to the ones used to survey the same age group a decade ago.

The respondents were also asked whether they support the Dominion Institute's recommendation that students should be required to take the citizenship exam given to newcomers. Seven in 10 agreed.

Just four provinces — Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec — require high-school students to take a dedicated Canadian history course to graduate. The vast majority of respondents believe this should be mandatory in every province.

Mr. Griffiths said he has seen a decline in the amount of Canadian history being taught in schools. Ottawa lacks the tools and the will to take on this issue, he said, because it fears stepping on provincial toes when it comes to public education.

"Both the major levels of government in our country, provincial and federal, have done little of any substance to tackle this issue in the last 10 years," he said.

But Ken Osborne, a professor emeritus of education at the University of Manitoba, who taught high-school history in the 1960s and 1970s, said schools have started to seep Canadian history into parts of the curriculum. Graduates, however, tend to forget some of what they learn.

"Whatever the schools do or don't do, there's very little in everyday Canadian life that refers to or resonates with Canada's history," Prof. Osborne said. "You've only got to be in the United States for a day and a half to find all kinds of historical references leaping out at you."

While the survey results give pause, Prof. Osborne said it doesn't mean young Canadians are bad citizens or even that national unity is under threat. Americans, for example, know the Civil War took place, but many can't even place it in the right century, he said.

"It's gloom, but it's not doom," he said.

Social studies teacher John O'Flynn echoed the sentiment. But he said that while Canadians do a good job of remembering those who died for the country and honouring veterans, they also should remember those who built the country.

In his Grade 6 classroom yesterday at Mulgrave School, a private school in West Vancouver, Mr. O'Flynn asked pupils to name the country's first prime minister. After some thought, two responded that it was Abraham Lincoln (the 16th president of the United States).

Despite this, Mr. O'Flynn, who has been teaching for 18 years, believes schools teach a sufficient amount of Canadian history. More effort needs to be put on helping students remember, he said.

"It's being done. But we also want our children to be globally minded. Yes, we recognize our country, but we also look at the role that Canada plays and the things that we share with other countries," he said.

What should be done about this? What level of historical knowledge should we demand for our average citizen?

 

[sysyphus]

People learn more history through media than school. Improve the media in Canada so that people will watch it.

 

[The Yankee]

At least they have the right century (even general time period) when naming a leader. So....partial credit?

 

[Babbler]

People learn more history through media than school. Improve the media in Canada so that people will watch it.

Nothing wrong with improving the media (but how do that?), but shouldn't we be concerned about people learning their history (and more) from the media?

 

[Zelig]

There's more important stuff those students should be learning, math and natural sciences are both higher priorities than history. Not that math and science education is adequate either.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Even I know Canada's date of confederation. Sadly, I know a large number of people who although intelligent in their respective fields don't know a thing about history. In class, I even had this one kid who asked who won the civil war on the day of the final exam.

But yeah, I'd rather people not know history and grammar than not know the real sciences. Heck, I used to be a history major. Believe me, we're useless.

 

[Che Guava]

Ugh, that is just sad...Canadians need to start having some frikkin pride in our history...

 

[Damnyankee]

Makes me glad that Canadian students can be just as dumb as American students, lol.

 

[Ansar]

Yay! American stupidity is spreading to Canada!

 

[Swedishguy]

Er, I don't know the name of Sweden's first Prime Minister. Does that make me stupid?

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Er, I don't know the name of Sweden's first Prime Minister. Does that make me stupid?

A little bit, ya.

 

[Swedishguy]

A little bit, ya.

Stop teasing me! Tell me his name.

 

[Trafalgar]

Er, I don't know the name of Sweden's first Prime Minister. Does that make me stupid?

Yes it does and welcome to the club.

 

[Trajan12]

Makes me glad that Canadian students can be just as dumb as American students, lol.

I'm sure American kids know the country was founded in 1776 and the first Prez was GW. So, I guess we've finally passed someone in intelligence!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Stop teasing me! Tell me his name.

According to Swedish Prime Ministers in History, the first Prime Minister was Louis de Geer.

And all those Canadians who don't know about Sir John A. should be ashamed of themselves. After all, they look at him every time they spend a $10 bill!

 

[Catharsis]

Hey, a straight wrong answer is fair enough. The matter of who the first British Prime Minister was, though, is all a big heaving waffle of semantics.

 

[Babbler]

According to Swedish Prime Ministers in History, the first Prime Minister was Louis de Geer.

Isn't "... in history" redundant?

There's more important stuff those students should be learning, math and natural sciences are both higher priorities than history. Not that math and science education is adequate either.

Science is important, but those who don't know their history repeat it.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Science is important, but those who don't know their history repeat it.

Usually what happens is people who know history use history to justify repeating it.

 

[The Yankee]

I'm sure American kids know the country was founded in 1776 and the first Prez was GW. So, I guess we've finally passed someone in intelligence!

And he did it while fighting the Iranians!











Right, guys?.....Guys?

It does seem that children are never learning even the most basic facts. When I was the only one to be able to name all 50 states and draw a halfway passable map of the United States as a senior in "competitive" high school, something's wrong.

 

[jeps]

I can draw a map of canada ignoring the arctic islands...

their borders are WEIRD. Saskatchewan was always fun to draw, it was a giant rectangle.

I got a 98% in CanHis. It was weird, we studied the future for our ISUs.