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PrintJanuary 8, 2008
How well would you do on latest Geography test?
The 2006 National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy is out and our 18-24 year olds must have been asleep during geography class, judging by the results.
People were shown a blank map of the Middle East and asked to identify four countries; Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
The results were not encouraging. Only 14% of the people who took the test were able to identify where all four countries were on the map.
Individually, 63% didn't know where Iraq and Saudi Arabia were while an astonishing 75% couldn't place Iran or Israel on the map.
It seems amazing but fully 44% of the respondents couldn't find any of the countries.
From the report:
Education makes a difference in young adults’ ability to locate these four countries in the headlines: young Americans with college experience (1.6 correct answers on average) are more likely than those with up to a high school education (0.9 correct) to locate these countries. That said, even the more educated group fares relatively poorly, with less than a quarter of those with a college education able to find all four countries (23%, 6% of those with up to a high school diploma).(HT: MESH)
Why this is so, the report doesn't say. My own belief is that a de-emphasis on traditional subjects like geography and science in the early grades has led to a geographically challenged and scientific illiterate electorate.
Yes, but students know where the root of all evil in the world lies thanks to slanted social studies textbooks that tell them how rotten their own country is.
