Joanne Jacobs takes a look at the lessons being learned in our government's schools. Keep in mind, these educators are constantly bitching and moaning that the reason kids aren't learning anything is because schools and teachers don't have enough of our money to spend.

American students learn how World War II affected Japanese-Americans, blacks and women, but not much about the actual war, writes Jay Mathews in the Washington Post. Students tend to learn social history but not military history.

Tiffany Charles got a B in history last year at her Montgomery County high school, but she is not sure what year World War II ended. She cannot name a single general or battle, or the man who was president during the most dramatic hours of the 20th century. [...]

The Post interviewed 76 teenagers. Two-thirds knew Japanese Americans had been interned during World War II. Only one-third could name a single World War II general; half could name a World War II battle.

It's not just bad history lessons our kids are being taught. They're getting a pass on personal responsibility too. Give an assist to the parents and the school board for this one.

Students at a Chicago high school were warned they'd have to sit out prom if they let detentions pile up. Fifteen of 180 students ignored the warning. But they went anyhow. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Jones College Prep Principal Don Fraynd thought he was giving his students a valued lesson in responsibility when he barred 15 seniors who had racked up anywhere from 50 to 300 unserved detentions each from prom.

What he got was a lesson in politics, when the students held a protest, their parents blitzed the Board of Education with complaints, and the board reversed him, allowing the chronically late and class cutters to go to the ball. [...]

"Everybody was upset because they spent all their money getting suits and limos and all of that," said Remon Miller, 18, who said he had 302 after-school detentions and 102 Saturday detentions to serve.

The kid was allowed to ignore 404 detentions! No wonder he thought the warning was meaningless. And, thanks to the school board, he was right.

When I was in school, you could bring a knife or scissors without any problem, but if you ignored detention you got in-school suspension. If you ignored your suspension, you were sent home. If you came back before your time was up, you were arrested for trespassing.

My how times have changed. Just think, these kids will be running our country one day.