Lest we forget...
 

In the run-up to Remembrance Day, war veterans' charity Erskine conducted a study of 2,000 children from all over the UK (aged nine to 15) which tested them on their knowledge of facts of both world wars.

The results, depending on your point of view, provide terrifying/hysterical reading.

A few of my personal favorite Q and A's


What was the holocaust? -
A Computer game recreating the war. - 10% Northern Ireland

Where was The Battle of Britain fought? -
Under the sea - 10.5% Wales.
In space - 6.6% Northern Ireland.

Who was assassinated which led to the outbreak of World War One? -
john Lennon - 41.5% London.

For what is Auschwitz renowned? -
A World War Two based theme park - 40% London.

What is the symbol of Remembrance Day? -
McDonalds Golden Arches - 37.5% London.

Who was Hitler? -
Coach to the German national football team - 9.5% West Midlands.

And who was Joseph Goebbels? -
A well-known Jew who wrote a diary in the attic - 30% North West.

You can find the study here.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I find this jaw dropping to be honest.

The way i look at it is most of us on here are from roughly the same generation, we had direct access to family members that were part of certainly the second world war.

So by the age of 9 I would wager that we at least knew who Adolf Hitler was.

At our school I know we studied ancient history to the age of 14, then from 14 upwards it was modern history - and thats where in part the ins and outs of the wars were discussed. I'm sure we must've glossed over momentous events before that though.

I can't truthfully remember the age at which I knew what had happened back then - but at 15 - dear god it saddens me.

Maybe there are ex UK teachers on here that can explain the modern day curriculum, and exactly what is taught in History lessons. Or is History now a defunct subject replaced by expressive jazzercise underwater?

Re: Lest we forget...
 

...which is where, as we now know, the battle of britain was fought. :blink:

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Of course - silly me <heads to corner, wearing white pointy hat with a D on it>

Re: Lest we forget...
 

If this was multi choice (assumed based upon such bizare answers getting high response rates otherwise), asking teens, then they deserve it for putting the ridiculous choices down in the first place - I would be tempted to answer like that anyway.

However, I've known some kids like this - another one is not realising we are not part of the US (& by we, I mean uk, although I imagine the same can happen in Canada).

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Yay! It's trite cliche time again. I'm going to try and reclaim the word "lest".

We've put a note on the front door to remind us to turn the heating off when we go out... lest we forget.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You quite simply disgust me. Grow up and have some respect.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

One should not risk such a post lest it provoke the humourless.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Note, this is the maple leaf forum. A sense of humour may be required from time to time:sneaky:


If it was multiple choice I would also have been tempted to opt for some of the stupider answers. Kids are not as dumb as all that.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Some things are not there to have humour poked at them.

Take the piss out of me all you want but people who died for their country, yeah that sounds like fun!

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I disgust myself sometimes. The amount of times I've woken up not knowing where my trousers are. I should attach some kind of tracking device to them to reveal their location... lest I forget.

Um... no.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

[QUOTE=iaink;8076313]Note, this is the maple leaf forum. A sense of humour may be required from time to time:sneaky:


QUOTE]


Thanks for the info.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You seem to be one of those things.

Actually, I was taking the piss out of people who parrot them same meaningless babble at this time of year. They just love reminding us how sincere and respectful they are - lest we forget - by spending 50p on a plastic flower.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

We only knew so much about the war because...

(1) We played soldiers, and ran around machine-gunning each other at playtimes.

(2) There were war films on TV every week. Christmas/New Year was a bonanza of Nazi-killing... The Guns of Navarone, The Great Escape, The Eagle Has Landed, A Bridge Too Far... we knew and loved them all.

(3) Commando magazine. Remember them? The Krauts all said "Aaargghh!" or "Uuurrghh!!" when the brave Tommies dispatched them by the dozen, while the Japs all said "Aiiiieeeeee!!!".

For us, the war was FUN, and it was part of our popular culture. That's how we know so much about it.

How on earth is any child today expected to know as much about WWII as we do? We don't let them play outside any more, gun games are taboo, tyou never see war films any more, and Commando magazine is probably banned.

Lest we forget indeed. Why should a kid 'respect' an old veteran when he has no idea of what he did? All he sees is an old codger in trench coat standing by a wreath while a dreary old bugle plays.

Remembrance Day should have all the great movies on (my fave - Kelly's Heroes, ridiculuous, I know:D), and kids and their dads and grandads should be running round the streets slaughtering each other with sticks for machine-guns. THAT might get kids interested in what happened in the war.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

11. How Did Japan attack Pearl Harbour?

a. Nuclear attack
b. Suicide bombing by plane
c.Tank Rush
d. Troop invasion





Now, I may not have a masters in history (unlike my OH), but even I know none of those is the correct answer. Japan didnt resort to suicide attacks until much later in the war. Kids I can understand getting stuff wrong, but the veterans organisation posing the questions...c'mon!

To the kids credit, the vast majority of them say they would like to learn more about the wars, and that they think about the sacrifices others have had to make.