What Caitlin Upton should have said when asked why a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a map:
"That statistic is startling and troubling. But the reason is simple. Our education system is not doing a good enough job. We need to provide more money for books and maps and for teachers' salaries. But the burden also falls on the parents who need to take the time to teach their children themselves, to supplement what they should be learning in school."
Nah, I prefer her original response. Far less boring than yours ;-)
ReplyDeleteI don't blame schools. An education is available for anyone who wants it. It's on kids who don't pay attention or just plain cut class. It's on parents who don't provide a stable environment at home. Too many inner city kids could care less about education, kids in suburbs for that matter too.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point (what I wrote wasn't necessarily what I believe, but what she should have said). Even a school that hasn't gotten new maps since the 50s (the 1850s) should be able to teach the kids where the U.S. is on a map. South Africa and The Iraq...that's another matter.
ReplyDeleteOr she could have answered with a question- does that statistic include the legally blind, Children under five years old...because that would sure give an explanation for a percentage of those unable to find the US on a map.
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