I believe that the BBC's afternoon quiz programme called 'Pointless', is H M The Queen's favourite.
It's a mid-intelligence game; no complex high-IQ questions, no trickery, just general knowledge (or guessing) on a variety of subjects.
Recently (9th March), there was such a SHOCK in the Magnon household at one particular crass answer, that we almost spilt our cups of Lapsang. A couple (one of whom was a doctor), thought that NORTH KOREA was a member of THE COMMONWEALTH.
The question had been to name a country who took part in the 2014 Commonwealth Games; the answer given, North bloody Korea!!!
I do hope that H M wasn't watching that particular episode (I wish I hadn't myself). To think that some doctor sitting in his surgery might know nothing of N Korea, is really quite shocking.
What has education come to? Too busy with gender studies and Wokery I suppose. If our teachers can find the time to tell children that they must no longer refer to their parents as Mum and Dad, but as 'the people who care for me', then surely they can find time to explain that N Korea is an evil Communist State, and NOT a member of The glorious Commonwealth.
I know very little about North Korea myself, but at least I know it isn't part of the Commonwealth.
ReplyDeleteI find it quite extraordinary that someone could go through over 10 years at school, and through 7 years at university, yet apparently not know anything about The Commonwealth. It's a part of what we are globally. Mind you, there are probably lots of simple questions that I would get wrong, but not quite so crass.
DeleteCould be an explanation for the £83bn of outstanding compensation claims against the NHS.
ReplyDelete'He took out my N Korea, when he should have removed my Lesotho'.
DeleteI am the same age as you and I think the standard of education thas steadily gone down over the years. My husband, who is a lot younger than me, can take a computer apart and put it together again but ask him a general knowledge question.Geography...forget it!.I am a mine of usless information, he says.He is right I suppose cos with his help on computers , I wouldn't be writing this.
ReplyDeleteI think our schools took pride in filling us with useless information. There is certainly less of that these days, but the basics should still be taught.
DeleteI still cringe at that one too although in his defence I think in front of camera and under pressure in the final it is all too easy to come out with something stupid and he did explain his stupidity at the end.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see his explanation. I think I turned off. They do have PLENTY of thinking time.
DeleteOverall he hadn't said anything stupid until that point in the final. I cringed less when I saw the episode repeat the other day knowing that he repented!
DeleteNormally I wouldn't mention just 'silly mistakes', but this seemed almost unforgiveable. We couldn't believe what we were hearing.
DeleteSame here I said out loud "is he really saying that?
DeleteMy comment was more expletive filled than yours.
DeleteI think that if you have opted to go on a general knowledge show, you should possess a little general knowledge. It is amazing how many muttonheads appear in front of the camera.
ReplyDeleteI think the poor chap will forever be known as Mr N Korea.
DeleteMuttonheads! I haven't heard that in 50 years!
DeleteDo weknow that doctor in question was a Doctor of Medicine or could he have been a Doctor of some obscure subject they can major in these days?
ReplyDeleteI believe you can gain a doctorate in flower arrangement these days
DeleteEvery graduate in Italy calls themselves 'Doctor', but I believe this one was a pukka Quack.
DeleteEducation has been declining for many years. Curriculum content and priorities need to be re-examined.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers would go on strike.
DeleteWhen I was teaching my day started at about 8am, and often finished at about 9.30pm. I also had to work weekends. State school teachers have it easy, they wouldn't want any extra work.
Parents are choosing home schooling, charter schools or tuition based private schools. All due to declining standards at their local tax funded schools.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, in the UK The Left wish to ban all private education, and force everyone to 'dumb down'. Personally I would prefer that the state schools improve their standards and were encouraged to 'brain up'.
DeleteIt is a running joke in New Mexico….”one of the 50 is missing”. Personally I find it shocking that after 246 years, there are people that live in the U.S. that think we need a passport to travel, that we're part of Mexico, etc.
ReplyDeleteEducation sure isn't what it used to be.
I don't wish to excuse them, but maybe the answer is in the name. Just to make it more comprehensible to the uneducated, perhaps it should be renamed 'USA-Mexico' instead.
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