AFP: Quarter of Brits think Churchill was myth: poll

[tuvor]

LONDON (AFP) - Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up. The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three percent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080204/od_afp/britainpeoplehistoryoffbeat

[Captain Hilts]

1. And a good chunk think he was president of the US. nt

[silverlil]

5. well Churchill's mother

was an american. No excuses for this lot anyway. Whatever is the world coming to?

[Azathoth]

2. Yes, but do they believe that Jesus and his disciples rode dinosaurs? n/t

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

3. They're turning into us!

[silverlil]

4. Unbelieveable isn't it?

I would not be here today if it was not for Sir Winston Churchill and neither would they! I have not been home in nearly 8 years since my mother died, but Florence Nightingale was on the back of a twenty pound note! And Sir Winnie - I am disgusted with this latest generation.

[aquart]

6. And we think our educational system sucks.

Did anyone ask them if they knew the meaning of "myth"?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. This is evidence of the stupidy of the poll, not the British.

It is palpably nonsense that nearly a quarter of Britains think Churchill was a myth, or that many think Sherlock Holmes was real.

This article gives no information whatsoever about the methodology of the poll, beyond "3000 people were surveyed".

The survey was carried out by a TV station, and not even a reputable one, not a polling firm.

I think we can safely assume that it was fatally flawed.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. It's very difficult to believe

because about 40% of the British population were alive when he was, and everyone else gets lots of war stories, or history in school - I've heard that history teaching these days seems to be largely WW2 and the Tudors, but that would be enough for that. Compared to just 3% thinking Dickens was fiction, this just doesn't look right. I'd like to know how they asked this, and who they asked.

Ah: the Telegraph says 3000 under 20s were surveyed (no lower age limit given, but they say "teens"). It's possible they'd answer stupidly just to screw up a poll. Or they really are ignorant.

[baldguy]

8. Blame Rupert Murduch, not the British education system.

[Selatius]

9. There will always be ignorant people regardless of quality of education system.

There will always be people who don't listen in class.