NEWS TITLE: -- Kern: History Survey Illustrates Education Flaw

NEWS DATE: -- Sep 16, 2009

DETAILS:

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, issued the following statement today in response to an Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs survey that found Oklahoma high-school students could answer only 2.8 percent of sample questions from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) item bank. Among other things, the survey found only 23 percent of Oklahoma high-school students could identify George Washington as the first president of the United States.
 
 

"As a former history teacher, I have often warned that our schools are no longer teaching children facts and knowledge, and today’s survey makes my point in a dramatic fashion. If our children do not know the most basic facts about civics and our government, we should all worry for the future of our government in a democratic society that depends upon an informed electorate. The OCPA survey should serve as a call to action for educators and the Oklahoma Legislature."