1066 and all that!

[Big A.T]

At work I was discussing a programe on TV. Someone in my office did not know why 1066 was a well known historical date. Further questioning revealed that he did not know anything about either of the World Wars, Great Fire Of London etc.

Is there anyone else out there who genuinely does not know these well known facts? I am intrigued! Does it reflect how bad schools are today or is it something else entirely?

[dot.hawkes]

A girl who worked for me was under the impression that Hitler was the guy who bent spoons, Berlin was near london and leather was made from the bark of trees. Oh and that my automatic car was automatic cos it knew where it was going.
She is 20 now and working elsewhere.

[stewey]

It is really hard to believe that a 20 year old person does not know some of these basic historical facts. Assuming the person attended school and was taught by qualified teachers and had to pass examinations in various subjects how could this have happened.........what is the problem: the student, the teacher, or the educational system.....or a combination of the previously mentioned?

[noxlumos]

We had a TEACHER ask on here , and I'm sure Dot will back me up because I think she was one of the people other than me who could not get over the fact that this person obviously knew nothing, when the second world war started, why it started, who was in it, what happened and when did it end. She needed to know she said because she had to teach it next week to her class. So please tell me what hope do the kids have with teachers like that?

[stewey]

Noxlumos, You ask "what hope do the kids have with teachers like that"? Not much, perhaps. But keep in mind that in the teaching profession there are the good and the bad as in any other calling. I would suggest that any person going to a site such as this to seek advice as to how to perform their job should not be in that job in the first place! In closing, I suggest that teachers be educated prior to attempting to educate others.

[jigman1]

I used to work with a bloke who when asked what "el nino" was his immediate response was " wasn't he that geezer who could predict the future!"
We were doing a quiz from a newspaper and one of the questions asked what was the name of the Chinese emperors underground army called? This was met with the equally quick reply of "The flowerpot men!!!!"

[dot.hawkes]

I do remember that Nox and the ensuing heated debate, it was ridiculous really, how prepared are our teachers never mind the kids!
The girl who worked for me was hilarious really, genuinely not a clue about anything, when I told her that leather was the skin of an animal she pretty much gave up the idea of selling shoes.

[king_arthur]

Dont condem the poor man, he might have been a supply teacher who didnt normally teach history.

[spudqueen]

Mr Spudqueens auntie once asked her sister (who lived about 150 miles away) if when she asked her if the sun was shining at her house was it the same sun that was shining on her house? And my Mum thought I was joking when I mentioned the ice age once!
I've tried to bring my children up with a sense of general knowledge, pointing things out to them, getting them to watch documentaries etc as I don't think we shoul leave it all up to the teachers.

[Loosehead]

The wife of a friend of mine once said in response to "The task force is setting sail for the Falklans" - Why do't the go on a train? She thought it was Falkirk!

[B00]

I know it was some time ago now- but when I was at school taking history, we didn't even touch on any world war, major historical figures or anything like that. We mainly stuck to the agricultural and industrial revolution (!) I'm not denying they had a major impact on our history, but still....never to touch on anything else at all.........?

[BigMac]

Perhaps Sellars and Yeatman were wrong then? Or perhaps not, as they say that in 1945 the USA became top nation and history came to a.

1066 and All That says that it contains not all British history, but "all that anyone can remember". I think the other significant date was Caesar's invasion of Britain... date was something or other BC.... :)

A person in my office did not know that until about 1971/2 Bangladesh used to be East Pakistan... which wouldn't really matter, except that she had a Bangladeshi client who kept talking about "pre-war" and she thought it meant 1939-45.

I also know a number of Oxford history graduates who don't know when anything happened - even within their area of 'supposed' expertise.....

As it happens, I'm more worried about trying to remember what happened yesterday..... but the 1970s seem so clear!

[rccatnap]

I do despair sometimes at the lack of seemingly basic knowledge that is in evidence. Many people will only bother about retaining facts that are immediately useful to them and discard the rest. I vividly remember several children in my own class, when I was at school (back in the last century!) complaining that they could not understand why it was important to remember history dates or do quadratic equations. No one appeared to explain to them that they were trying to teach them how to think, more than what to think.
On a lighter note, I did smile when someone at a quiznight was asked to name a nautical item that also had a Hollywood actress connection. Instead of Mae West, they came up with Tallulah Bulkhead!

[jake-the-peg]

I think there's a couple of points here. Remember first that you don't have to do more than a few years of history at school and if it's not particularly interesting I can quite see how a lot of kids would come out of school not knowing any.

Although there's a certain level of general knowlege that you'd expect people to pick up anyway, often it's hard to remember when you picked up a piece of knowlege and to assume you've always known it.

For example you know that E=Mc� is to do with Einstein and Relativity but do you know when you knew that aged 12? 15? 18? 22? 30? etc.

The other point is that a number of us older people have a view of history as some sort of tale unfolding through the ages, some sort of story of Britain and it's place in the world. That's not neccessarily the way that history's seen these days and kids as more likely to spend time studying what it was like to be a 12th Century serf as they are to be examining the Battle of Hastings.

Personally I don't think that's a bad thing. In today's world especially It's probably better to develop concepts like what is and what is not a reliable source, or what is and is not a primary source.

I often get the feeling that the "patriotism crew" are forever trying to hijack the teaching of history which is a shame when the prime objective is to get kids to think for themselves.

[vehelpfulguy]

I bet if you asked teenagers these basic questions many would get them wrong.

1) Does the sun go round the earth or the earth round the sun?

2) How long does it take the earth to spin once on its axis (roughtly)?

3) Why is it hotter in the summer than in the winter?

4) Is the sun a planet or a star?

5) How long does it take for the Earth to go round the sun (roughly) - assuming they have already answered Q1.

[vehelpfulguy]

Private Eye magazine (and online) do have a regular section called Dumb Britain where they print terrible wrong answers to quiz questions from TV and radio.

Here are some examples
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?sect ion_link=dumb_britain&

The worst I heard was a few years ago where one station asked you to send in your bill (gas, electricity, shopping etc) and if you got the question right they paid your bill.

A young lady send in her Electricity bill so was asked what was the best conductor of electricity - wood or water.

"My friend says its wood" said the lady.

Try again says the DJ

"Is it water" she asked

And they paid her bill.

Her son probably sits in the bath playing with his play station.

[vehelpfulguy]

I remember Sue Perkins (comedian) on Celebrity Weakest Link.

She was asked which nation gives a Christmas Tree to Britian every year (which goes in Trafalger Square), to thank us for our help in the second world war.

She said Germany !

[chitchat]

Dot - it wasnt Jade Goody who you were referring to was it? Coz that sound just like the things that she would come out with.

Big Mac - I wouldnt expect an English person to know about the Bangladesh war. We have enough of our own history; most of which, it appears, is not being taught in our schools.

[teddybon]

I was involved in the discussion about ww2 and why it happened. Everyone seems to assume history is only learned at school. Today is tomorrow's history -it is up to us to be aware of what is going on and to remember what we read or watch.I did express my dismay that a teacher planned the future week's lessons from an answerbank reply. I thought that topic was brought to an honourable conclusion eventually. (I continue to support colleagues in the staff room if I can)

[mightywease]

I too am a fan of Private Eye's "Dumb Britain" my favourite is

Radio DJ: "On this day in 1963 how did Valentina Tereshkova become famous?

Contestant: "Was she the first woman to grow a potato"

What an answer! It may be spectacularly wrong but the imagination is fantastic!

[Big A.T]

Lots of interesting replies . Teddybon made a very valid point indeed. Couldn't agree more!