My eldest daughter is in the eighth grade, and she is a fairly typical 13 year old. She likes and excels at math, likes to read and enjoys most of her classes. At her school, they long ago merged what were once Grammar, Literature, History and Geography into one giant mess called “Humanities”. While I suffered through “Social Studies”, this new monstrosity is worse. Further, it has allowed socialist moral-relativism to displace first geography and then history from the curriculum.
She was asking me questions the other day, leading me to ask her a few. I was surprised that she did not know who Sir John A. MacDonald was, nor Jacques Cartier, John Cabot, Samuel de Champlain, Wolfe or Montcalm, or Louis Riel. I was further horrified to discover she couldn’t tell me what year Canada gained it’s independence (1867) nor could she name the 10 provinces and their capital cities.
I asked what she has been learning this year, and she said something about the Silk Road, the Renaissance and how white and black people haven’t gotten along and the black people were mistreated. I didn’t bother to ask if they had discussed how African tribes had sold other African tribesman into slavery with the European traders…
The school curriculum needs rewriting. Badly. Because I don’t see that children are learning much of anything useful…
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Alain
22 October 2011 at 15:05 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
This is exactly why we have at least a couple of generations who are totally ignorant of our history, world history and a whole lot more. When my children who are all now young adults were in the school system it was no different. I also found none of them were taught English grammar or pretty basic writing skills. I first discovered this when helping my oldest with his French homework. I explained that adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun or pronoun they describe. It soon became clear that he had no idea of what an adjective is nor even the difference between a noun and pronoun. I started checking out his textbooks and discovered the problem. From then on a lot of time was spent trying to provide what in the past had been provided by the school system. If I had it to do over again my wife and I would opt to home school, but I know not everyone can do this.
Mary T
22 October 2011 at 15:09 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Isn’t it strange that Jesse Jackson, Rev Sharptoj and other blacks never mention that it was African tribes that kidnapped and sold their enemies into slavery. The start of capitalism, as the buyers then resold them for a profit.
Simeon
22 October 2011 at 15:43 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Do ask your daughter about the “War of 1812″, don’t be surprised she knows zip. Canada never really started in the minds of our teachers’ unions until Trudeau, I kid you not .
I ran for the school board and what I found out is frightening.
Do go to the “Canadian Teachers Federation” website. Here is the link visit it and be prepared to get very very angry.
http://www.ctf-fce.ca/
PTBO
22 October 2011 at 17:47 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Well it depends what province you are in. But the Canadian historical figures that you mentioned is a pretty standard part of the BC curriculum during the grades 10-11. Since its provinical standard- teachers have to cover it even though they are generally very unpopular courses (people always though cdn history was boring). At least they teach Canadian history nowadays- I have heard stories that they use to teach more American history then Canadian history in schools in the 60s.
Sadly, the World/ 20th Century course was History 12 and that was an elective. Should have been required.
At least, your daughter is learning about the renaissance which is pretty much the foundation of modern western civilization.
Taliesyn
22 October 2011 at 22:09 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I recall studying Canadian History in Grades 4, 5 and 6, including the explorers, wars, founding and even the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. Why does this wait until high school???
Kursk
22 October 2011 at 20:18 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Not to be pedantic, as I agree with your premise, but Confederation occurred in 1867, Independence from Britain occurred with the Statute Of Westminster in 1931..
Taliesyn
22 October 2011 at 22:08 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Pedantically true, yes. Canada and the other Dominions didn’t gain full autonomy in one step. Although most consider Confederation in 1867 the most significant step, Westminster 1931 and the Constitution Act 1982 were the two additional steps that led to true independence.
Simeon
23 October 2011 at 7:07 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
The attitude is that we Caucasian Christian European Canadians have had it too good for so long and are the cause of all the ills in this world.
What you and I were taught is moot as the sickness of multiculturalism is the new order.
I bet that you are unaware that October is “Islamic History Moth.”
Cynical Bard
26 October 2011 at 10:38 (UTC -6) Link to this comment
When we get to the issue of blacks being mistreated, sold into slavery, etc, I recommend the book White Gold, about Europeans seized into slavery in North Africa. I learned nothing about that in school.