Just because they will be out celebrating Canada Day this weekend, doesn't mean Canadians necessarily know much about their own country.
More than half of all Canadians lack sufficient knowledge about Canada to pass a citizenship test, according to a new poll released just days before Canada Day.
The Ipsos Reid poll, commissioned by the Dominion Institute, found 60 per cent of Canadians would fail a citizenship exam similar to the one newcomers must pass in order to become citizens.
Meanwhile, the poll found that 70 per cent of immigrants would pass the exam, suggesting they have a better grasp of Canada's history, culture, politics and geography than the average Canadian.
"Perhaps this is a result of the fact that more and more immigrants are becoming the 'average' Canadian, and, since they are required to take the citizenship test in order to be granted citizenship, they would have been required to learn the answers to these types of questions," says the Ipsos Reid / Dominion Institute press release.
Recommendations
As a result of the findings, the Institute is also making recommendations. They are urging provinces to organize a national citizenship exam for high school students which they would have to pass in order to graduate.
They are also calling for the Federal government to implement a program where Canadians could volunteer to take their test again when renewing their passport in exchange for a reduced passport fee.
In a similar survey 10 years ago, 45 per cent of Canadians polled would have failed an identical test.
While 96 per cent of Canadians correctly identified the national anthem as ''O Canada,'' just six out of 10 could recall its first two lines.
Only 38 per cent were able to name the four federal political parties in the House of Commons. In 1997, 72 per cent of us were able to do that.
"The findings of this ten year benchmark study suggest that we are fast becoming a nation of amnesiacs who lack basic knowledge about the country's past, its democratic institutions and practices, and the physical geography of Canada," said Rudyard Griffiths, Co-Founder of the Dominion Institute.
"It has long been understood that one of the key indicators of the health of a highly diverse democratic society such as Canada is the level of civic knowledge its citizens share in common. Our study suggests not only do many Canadians lack the basic knowledge required to participate in society as informed citizens but this segment of our society is growing rapidly, including among younger age groups."
Some Canadians fared better than others:
Quebecers did the worst, with only 27 per cent able to pass the test; Saskatchewan and Manitoba did the best, with 58 per cent of their residents able to pass the entry exam; British Columbia citizens also just passed with 50 per cent; Ontarians failed with 41 per cent passing the test. Can you pass the test? Here are some of the questions Canadians failed miserably.
What are the three requirements a person must meet in order to vote in a federal election? What are three responsibilities that Canadians hold according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada? What are the four different rights or freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Correctly identify the number of Canadian provinces and territories. Who is Canada's head of state? Answers:
You must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old and on the voters list to vote in a federal election. Some responsibilities of Canadian citizenship include obeying Canada's laws, voting in elections, expressing opinions freely while respecting the rights and freedoms of others and caring for and protecting Canada's heritage. There are several rights and freedoms listed under the Charter. Some of them include the freedom of religion, thought, belief, opinion and expression. Legal rights protected by the Charter are the right to life, liberty and security of the person, the right to a fair trial and the right to protection against discrimination. There are three territories, and ten provinces. The provinces are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island. The territories are Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon. According to the Governor General's website, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Canada's Head of State. As the Governor General performs Her Majesty's duties on behalf of the Queen, he or she is considered Canada's de facto Head of State. The study was conducted June 5 to June 7, 2007. Ipsos Reid randomly selected and interviewed 1005 citizens who were not born in the country through their online I-say panel. They also randomly chose 1005 native Canadians and interviewed them by phone. The results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population been polled.
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01.07.2007 02:15
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