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General knowledge - where has it gone?
Released 20/12/2011
COMMENT Retired headmaster and recruitment director Mike Abraham wonders: does anyone know anything anymore?
Yes, I know that we live in the days of Wikipedia, where every scrap of general knowledge (including such things as Tutankhamen's eating habits) is freely available to all. But it seems to me that the young people of today increasingly avoid what used to be called general knowledge.
Ask any child for the capital of Mongolia, or who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and you will be met with a blank look. I blame the demise of ‘look and learn' for this sad state of affairs!
When I was a headmaster, I would sometimes hold a Christmas quiz to test my pupils' enthusiasm into this precious world of knowledge. Here are some real soul-destroying answers to some simple questions:
Which city is famous for its gondolas?
Middlesbrough
Which sea creature produces pearls?
A tortoise
What do you do with a caber?
Eat it
When faced with a forest fire, what does a dingo do?
Puts it out
Who painted the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo DiCaprio
What is the capital of Wales?
Wigan
Who was the first man on the Moon?
Louis Armstrong
You can see why I had to resign!
Mike Abraham was formerly a headmaster of various prep schools for 25 years and is now a recruitment director