Remedial Shopping
I know that John Kerry was directing his disdain for the military at American troops (nobody but John Kerry actually believes his "botched joke" explanation - and he's wavering). This story is out of Britain, but my guess is that some government functionary in this country will try to mimic it soon. So how exactly does this reflect on the civilian society as a whole?
British officials are sending teams of government workers out to help people understand basic math as they shop. It seems that 14.9 million adult Britons do not have the basic math skills expected of an 11 year old.
About 14.9 million adults in England do not have the maths skills expected of an 11-year old and may have problems working out even basic deals like "20 percent off" or "buy one, get the second half-price", the Department of Education and Skills said.
Teams commissioned by the department will hit the high streets to offer tips on savings and help people brush up their maths.
As part of the government's "Get On" campaign to tackle adults with literacy and numeracy difficulties, 200,000 sales calculators will also be on offer in some of the most popular shopping areas such as Oxford Street.
The mind boggles. Incidentally, here's a column James Taranto put together from letters he received over the whole Kerry episode. For a bunch of uneducated losers, as Kerry would have it, they sure come across as considerably smarter than the junior Senator from Massachusetts. It's kind of unfair engaging in a battle of wits with a completely unarmed man, but it is entertaining.
Politics, World news | Gaius Wednesday, 27 December , 2006
