The US, the most powerful nation in the world both in terms of their economy and military seem to be lacking in one crucial area; education. A recent short study done by a high school student portrays the average American student as not knowing all too much about their own country, and not really caring that they don’t.

Austin, a bold, young high school reporter who apparently has no last name, recently conducted and filmed a series of short interviews at his school where he sets out to “put the bright young minds of [their] student body to the test”.

The interviews comprised a collection of questions, the answers of which are assumed to be general knowledge. Things like, “Can you name a country that starts with the letter ‘U’”, “who is the Vice President of the US” and “name all the countries that border the US”. If their answers weren’t so funny, they’d make you cry. But it’s not their fault you see, it’s the teacher’s, as one student in the video so aptly put it, “I was never taught that knowledge”.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard called “Globally Challenged: Are U.S. Students Ready to Compete” ranked them 32^nd out of a group of 65 countries in terms of reading proficiency. Not great considering that they are the most powerful nation on Earth and that these are their future leaders.

Naturally the video also got me thinking about where we rank, but unfortunately South African did not compete in the study. However, The World Economic Forum’sThe Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, ranks us 50^th overall and first in Africa (the US ranked 5^th) and UCT was ranked 103^rd out of 400 in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings.

Studies and research aside, I’d like to think that most South Africans with a high school education would be able to answer the same questions posed in the video, when asked in a local context. Especially considering the amount of time we’ve all spent playing 30 Seconds, and how much we relish the win.

[Source: YouTube, Times Higher Education, WEF]