Kids know little of countryside – survey
12 October 2000
Kids know little of countryside – survey
A GAMEKEEPER is a man who looks after Pokémons – or so thought a child taking part in a survey on the countryside.
The research by Country Life magazine found an alarming level of ignorance of the natural world among schoolchildren, reports The Guardian.
Two-thirds of those surveyed did not know where acorns came from, and two in five did not know which in which season harvest fell.
The mistake made by the young fan of Japanese cartoon characters was not isolated, as only one in five knew what a gamekeeper did for a living.
And one in three could not say why gates should always be shut in the countryside. One child said it was to keep the elephants in.
Country Life editor Clive Aslet said: “As farmers come to be paid more for providing environmental benefits, children of today will become keepers of the countryside.
“On the evidence of our survey, many will not have much to say about what they want from it.”
- Survey reveals kids ignorance on food, FWi 16 June, 1999
- The Guardian 12/10/2000 page 8, G2 page 4
- The Daily Telegraph 12/10/2000 page 13