"Doug Freyburger" wrote in message
...
FarmI wrote:

LOL. As a result of wandering round the Net, I've become convinced that
Geography is either ineffectively taught, or not taught at all in USian
schools.

I vote for taught but completely forgotten after the test by the
majority of students. Consider the TV show "Are you smarter than a
fifth grader?" to see how much most forget.

How much school stuff should be retained? Vastly more than is by most.
How much effort should be spent at imporoving the median retention? I
have no idea. I remember enough of the material that I am amazed at
what folks don't know.

:-)) I'm amazed too - and especially that so much of the compulsory subject
matter didn't seem to penetrate some skulls.

I was listening to a radio quizz the other night and the question asked was:
What was the relationship between Ophelia and Laertes and give the name of
the Shakespearian play in which they appeared?

The answers astounded me. In the end the compere had to give so many hints
about the realtionship that he effectivley gave the person the answer, but
then she couldn't manage to produce the name of the play. She said Grapes of
Wrath. Another guess was something just as equally impossible and by an
another American author although that guess was actually a play rather than
a novel.

Of the actual Shakespearean plays the offerings were Romeo and Juliet,
Othello (at least there was one tragedy mentioned), Much ado about nothing,
Midsummer's Night Dream and a couple of others. It was gobbsmackingly
depressing that it took so long and that so many people couldn't answer or
bowed out and even attempt to answer.