"Don't know much about geography"

After a young lifetime in Europe, A is discovering the delights of American school.

"You get out at 3 o'clock! And I have a film class five days a week! But no geography at all. And no foreign language. Not even Spanish."

Comments

[Pat]

Just wanted to pop in and say that I am really enjoying reading all about life back in the States and the comparisons to France. Fascinating stuff!! :-)

[deb]

Isn't that appalling? We're constantly teaching our girls things they ought to have learned in school. While a second language is not required by the curriculum, it is required by their parents!

What is sad is that there are so many parents who do not take an active role in their children's learning.

[Erin]

No foreign language is even offered? I was taught some Spanish every year in CA starting from kindergarden until I moved in 8th grade, and French, Spanish, and German were offered at every middle school and high school I attended, with the addition of Latin in high school. If children (or their parents) want a foreign language taught, they can usually choose to take it.

[jacq]

I'm curious, is this is a public or private school ? maybe you can check if anything is offered even after school. I'm surprised if
there is no foreign language at all. my son is at an international school where they have to maintain one consistent foreign language kindergarden through 12th grade, while adding another in middle school and yet another in high school. what is interesting is they don't do much if any american geography at all, even though we are in america.

[Sedulia]

At this school, Spanish is offered--on your own time after school.

[Paris Parfait]

...which is why I'm glad my daughter finished high school in Paris. It's horrifying to me that the US still doesn't offer foreign language classes until age 14 or 15, while the rest of the world speaks two or three languages from early childhood. The Americans are falling behind in so many areas - including geography! And where are the funding cuts coming from? Education!! Thank goodness A was already exposed to another language.

[J.Doe]

When I was younger and in public school on the East Coast of the US geography WAS taught (at least US geography was). I've since moved to the West Coast and it is appalling how so many people here have no idea where my home state is located or even that it is a state at all (I'm referring to New Jersey.)
Not all schools in the US are as bad as those in CA

[sara]

goodness, it seems that you just have different ideals and conceptions regarding what is important in education. not everything is terrible in the US when compared with France.

http://media.www.tuftsdaily.com/media/storage/paper856/news/2007/02/20/Features/Adam-Winograd.Eiffel.Thoughts-2730155.shtml

[Sedulia]

Sara, I trust you are not defending the lack of languages and geography in a California public school. Just as I am not defending the French higher education system.