Canadians too ignorant to be Canadian
 

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...9-1702,00.html

TWO days before Canadians celebrate their nation, a survey has found that more than half of them would not be granted citizenship on the basis of their knowledge of their own country.
According to the Ipsos Reid poll, 60 percent of Canadians would fail the citizenship exam, a necessary step for immigrants to be granted citizenship.

However, an "outstanding majority'' or 70 percent of newcomers scored a passing grade when administered the same quiz.

The results are "frankly disheartening,'' said Rudyard Griffiths of the Dominion Institute.

"Immigrants to Canada have accumulated more knowledge about the workings of the Canadian government, key moments in Canada's past, and the geography of Canada than the general Canadian public.''

In 1997, only 45 percent of respondents failed an identical test, indicating that Canadians' knowledge of themselves also appears to be sliding, Mr Griffiths lamented.

To pass the test participants had to correctly answer 12 of 21 questions on Canadian history, politics, culture and geography.

yeah, but it is Canada, who cares?

Ack, I once worked at Ipsos Reid.

That kind of how I feel about Tasmania

I just don't care...

hmmmmmmmmm?

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH Canada:Oh crap

Id bet its like that in most nations.

Canada isn't alone in this, the U.S. has the same problem.
http://www.queervoice.net/kmcmullen/...izenship-test/

do the same test in the USA or Australia and you will laugh your ass of.

what is canada?

Average Canadians were bashing average Americans on GFY a while ago about their lack of knowledge, like the location of this or that US lake.

But a huge number of Canadians are immigrants so if immigrants are scoring well average are scoring better.. don't go quizing the newfies they only know about fishies :winkwink:

It's like any test - you give most of us a couple of weeks to study, and suddenly our marks would get better too. The people taking the citizenship tests study like crazy to get 70%. They have current knowledge, most of the rest of us stopped learning Canadian history after we passed grade 10.

Shhhhh... don't bring sense and logic in to this thread. It makes other people feel a lot better when they can bash us Canadians for something. :1orglaugh

When prospective immigrants are downloading this.... http://www.v-soul.com/vsoul/freesw.html?citizenship and practising like mad answering and re-answering up to 166 questions is it really a surprise they are scoring better on the actual test than people who already live here?

Canadian history was an elective in high school. I took it and did quite well as I recall, but do I remember everything we studied back then? We're talking 27 years ago, so...no.

But I did take some online test a few years ago that was something along the lines of this citizenship test, all questions on Canada. I did quite well, I'm sure I'd do okay on this test too.


Like someone else said, give any Canadian even a few days to use that practise test and study a bit and they'd likely pass too.

they may as well just say our igloos are run down and we should move into new ones.

Just for a laugh let's make everyone in the USA, Australia, Canada, and oh, how about Sweden, take a citizenship test for their respective countries. Every person between the age of 18 and 60, how's that.

And in order to remain a citizen of your country you need to pass it.



Wouldn't that be a hoot?



I'll go on record right now as saying the order would go like this...

1. Probably Sweden, (you could probably plug any European nation in here in place of them, or Japan, or China, or india etc, lol) it wouldn't surprise me that their people are more aware of their country, politics, geography and history.

2. Tossup between Canada & Australia, but I'll say the Aussies edge us by a nose.

3. Canada - close behind the #2 Aussies. We have become complacent here and talk a good patriotism, even fly the flag more than we used to... but I'd hazard a good guess that most wouldn't know Louis Riel from Pierre Trudeau.

4. USA -- dead last. You think all those "gangstas", homies, hicks, rednecks, trailer dwellers, mammies and ho's with 6 different kids from 6 different dads, and all other welfare cases are going to know the pledge or what state Mount Rushmore is in or which arm of the statue holds up the torch? :D

I did the online 110 questions test and scored 90%, mostly because I don't know the names of the Lieutenant Governor of BC is, and other BC related questions. Hooray I can stay!

Were you also getting paid $7 per hour? Or were you in a higher position where it pays $8 an hour?