75% of Oklahoma high school students don't know the first president!

[Mysterious F.]

Duh. The problem is how does that get changed, and it is a very long and complicated problem that everyone and everything has a hand in.

[Pale Dim]

I hate to take sides, but I would have to agree with Shika. But it's not just America, it's the whole world. Basically the entire leadership of the world is run by discrimination and senseless choices in some way, shape, or form, and it's even obvious. Stupidity is one of the worlds main problems.

[MagmarFire]

From my perspective, this is definite facepalm fodder--that in itself is probably the reason why one needs to factor in the "screwing around" thing. How was the survey-test taken, exactly?

However...gah, I really should shut up now. I need to avoid another education palaver. >_<

[HelenJames]

Something alike was discussed on the ask.com,i can give someone a link if anybody need it

[Mysterious F.]

It is generally recognized that if you feel you should give a link, you probably need to give a link.

[Darth Wyndisis]

I'm pretty sure that's a bot.

[DW]

LOLita

[MagmarFire]

Maybe we should PM him and see if he actually provides a link.

But really, this adds nothing to the conversation, so I'll just lock this...unless someone has something to add, of course.

[alex]

AHEM! i'm a high school student in oklahoma...

i'm pritty sure that the majority of my high school class mates know who the first president was.
not sure where those statistics came from, but they are not accurate.

[Hi no Seijin]

Most statistics aren't accurate.  You have to remember that polling an entire population isn't very feasible, given how large the target population can reach.  Pollsters have to select random groupings and extrapolate their data from there, and it's very likely that the data will be skewed because not everyone can be represented.  Even if the target population is high school students, the results can still be stilted, as students may not be present on the day the poll is taken.

Something else to keep in mind, Alex:  The population of Oklahoma is roughly 3,687,050 people (a 2009 estimation according to Wikipedia).  After trimming off adults and students who are in elementary or middle school, it is highly doubtful that the entire high school population of Oklahoma is in your school.  Assuming that the poll is inaccurate because your class would represent a different statistic is inaccurate itself.  It is highly unlikely (and probably mathematically impossible, but I don't much care to do the math to make sure) that every single high school in Oklahoma is going to match the results for the whole state.  In other words, not every high school will have 75% of it's population not know who the first President was; some high schools might have 50% not know, or 12% not know, and so on.

Also, George Washington was only the first President elected under the Constitution.  Technically, the first President was Peyton Randolph, under the First Continental Congress.

[alex]

thanks hns, that makes me feel better :]
I feel like people precieve Oklahoma to be.. well, a lesser state. when I have traveled, people have actually asked if I live in a teepee... it's quite degrading. but then again, I feel sorry for whoever is ignorant enough to believe that we live in teepees and don't know who the first president was.

[MagmarFire]

Also, George Washington was only the first President elected under the Constitution.  Technically, the first President was Peyton Randolph, under the First Continental Congress.

You learn something new everyday. How did that term end up, if you recall?

[Hi no Seijin]

You're welcome, Alex.

Mags, in lieu of a history book, Wikipedia.  I just remembered that GW technically wasn't the first president and then I hit up Wikipedia for some fact-checking.

[Gamefreak]

Like every President ever, he was the worst President to one group, and the best President to another.

[Mysterious F.]

It says something about the American educational system that all we don't really learn about the first real president.