U.S. Fails Geography Bee
Young American students’ knowledge of world, and even U.S., geography is atrocious consider these students’ access to the best educational material in the world.
After nearly 2,000 deaths in 2005 following the sixth-strongest hurricane in American history, about 33% of Americans aged 18-24 years could not pinpoint the state of Louisiana on a U.S. map.
The United States nevertheless prides itself as a global leader in education with the world’s best students. With abundant and accessible web and print resources and heavily funded schools, young American should be the paradigm of global education.
Unfortunately, however, American students are falling behind their European and Asian counterparts in math and science, a well documented phenomenon. These young Americans’ knowledge of geography is equally shaky even with one of the world’s best rates of Internet usage and news coverage.
The Problem
The facts about poor geography knowledge are alarming. For example, The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study found that about 50% of young Americans could not located New York state on a U.S. map. The survey studied 510 Americans aged 18-24 years 2006.
Equally alarming, 60% of students could not locate Iraq on a map despite hearing and reading about the War in Iraq for several years.
To continue, India has been in the news heavily lately as well for its booming economy partly powered by U.S. outsourcing. Nevertheless, 47% of students could not locate India on a map of Asia1.
The figures found by The National Geographic survey raise interesting questions about the role of America’s future leaders in the global context. Today’s business and societal environment is quickly adapting to a global scale without borders. As people, knowledge, and ideas are moving easier between countries, at least a basic understanding of global geography (especially when the country in question is in the news frequently such as Iraq or India) is necessary. The survey summarizes its striking finds with an equally grim conclusion:
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“Taken together, these results suggest that young people in the United States … are unprepared for an increasingly global future”
- The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study
The survey’s findings are not anything new. A similar survey was conducted in 2002, placing the U.S. second to last on its holistic geography knowledge2.
The Solution
A fundamental understanding is paramount in today’s global economy. While elementary and middle schools currently have geography requirements, many high schools do not. Even worse, universities traditionally do not have a geography requirement either.
Geography is one subject that requires constant attention as there is undoubtedly so much to learn about nations, culture, and peoples. As such, elementary and middle schools should continue to focus on geography. High schools should also mandate a geography requirement in addition to other similar requirements such as “World Cultures” or “European History.”
While it may be more difficult to fit a geography requirement in university-level curriculum, the topic should at least be a key component in all classes. For example, many business schools today intertwine the study of globalization and international business in all their functional classes ranging from marketing to finance. Geography is of utmost importance to business students who will be working in a globally integrated world upon graduation.
Regardless of the educational level, geography is needed to expos students and future leaders to diverse cultures, varied ideas, and the exchange of knowledge from around the world.
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References
- The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study [↩]
- Study: Geography Greek to young Americans [↩]
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Naomi Trun is an economy consultant for a small managerial firm since 1998, residing in Chicagoland.
Email this author | All posts by Naomi Trun
Well that’s not embarrasing.
Yes we have access to abundant media in the news and on the Internet, but that doesnt mean we use it. We use the interent, but not for news. We watch TV, but not for news. This is a cultural problem.
I personally think the schools are fine, it is just the culture here where we don’t care about learning outside the classroom.
“Something to Think About”
When you hit a certain age, you usually say, “nothing surprises me any more”.
Well, there is something that still amazes me at the age of 50.
The lack of motivation to excel in what you’re doing and the lack of shame
for doing a lousy job.
If I were an elected official and my state ranks almost at the end of the list in quality
Education , with a high percentage of high school drop outs, below the national average
on test scores (to name a few), I would be ashamed to continue to receive a paycheck every month.
When is someone going to actually sit down at the table and review our education system. Why are we so arrogant that we continue to say ” We are the USA and
we are the best country in the world” Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are third
world countries that have a better education system then ours. Maybe someone should
take the time to explore this avenue. We spend so much money on stupid things, why
don’t we put together a team and have them study and compare education in other
countries. Extract the good ideas and implement them here.
The first thing that should be done is make High School mandatory, yes you heard it,
High School should be mandatory. You would be doing, not only the child a favor, but also the parent and the community a favor. You would stop of the cycle of uneducated parents with uneducated children.
Second, you should seriously look at what these kids are learning in High School…..
Home Ec, how to sew a pillow, how to make chocolate chip cookies????
Single survival? Photography ? Carpentry, how to build a bird house ? Are you kidding
me. This is so ridiculous, it’s embarrassing.
I went to High School in Argentina…just to give you an example. High School education consists of 5 years and you have 13 subjects every year. High School is divided in 3 different majors. You can choose Business/Accounting, Humanities or Technical High School. All three have a different curriculum. You would pick the first if you are interested in business, or even just working in an office since they teach you short hand, typing, clerical duties, etc. This will find you a job even if you might decide not to pursue a college degree. You would choose Humanities if you are interested in being a teacher, doctor, lawyer, etc. Technical High School if you are interested in being and engineer, architect or even an electrician.
Now, all three have (of course) reading, writing, math, history, geography and science
every year. The other classes emphasize on your major. And yes, there is also
a language, usually English, and PE. Kids don’t have electives, that does not exist. That’s
one of the problems you have here…kids have electives and they pick Home Ec and then
come home with a pair of boxer shorts that took them a whole semester to sew.
This is just one country to compare with, just imagine what Japan, Switzerland, Canada,
England or France might have to offer.
When you leave office, wouldn’t you be proud if your state ranked in the top 10 ten of the
smartest states in the country instead of the dumbest ?
Sandra Sperzagni
Unfortunately for America, you are completely right Sandra. A highly criticized aspect of education in the United States is the lack of challenging courses that are mandatory – only be pushing our children will they learn.
American students will not learn from foods (Home Ec) and welding classes. They will learn from advanced European history and contemporary literature. They will learn from mandatory physics and calculus courses. Food and welding skills can be learned easily on the side.
It is remarkable that the world’s most advanced nation cannot even compete with developing or undeveloped countries when it comes to geography (it is also known that students here are losing in math and sciences as well).
The country’s education system is the future. Our high schools and middle schools are the cultivators of our future leaders. And in today’s global society, those that cannot even locate large countries (such as the U.S. and India) on a map will undoubtedly fail.