The Daily Mail reports a survey of first year unversity students, which found that as a result of “trendy” teaching, most could not answer basic factual questions on British History. Just 16.5% could name who was was the general in charge of the army at Waterloo, and just 11.5% could name a 19th century Prime Minister. (What of the ignorance of the 5% or more who couldn’t recognise the answer to the first is also a possible answer to the second)

I was of the first to get away from the traditional way of starting with the Romans in First Year and finishing with the Post war events in the fifth form. But I could have answered these questions reasonably well by eleven.

A summary comment on this may reveal a lack of fluency with statistics at the Dail Mail offices

“In total the students answered just 26.7% of the questions correctly – just over one in five”

Hat tip to Conservative Home for directing me to this article.