Well,..its About Time!

From today's Philly Inkwaster:

Posted on Fri, May. 27, 2005
Bone up on Constitution: It's the law
On Sept. 17, schools and colleges that accept federal funds must teach what "We the People" is all about.

By Ben Feller
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Education Department outlined this week how it plans to enforce a little-known provision Congress passed in 2004: Every school and college that receives federal money must teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.

Schools may determine what kind of educational program they want, but they must hold one every year on what is now named "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day." And if Sept. 17 falls on a weekend or holiday, schools must schedule a program immediately before or after that date.

Historically, the federal government has avoided dictating what must be taught or when, because those powers rest with the states under the 10th Amendment. The Education Department's Web site even underlines that point, saying that matters such as curricula and course requirements fall outside federal authority.

Congress stepped in when it came to the nation's foundational document. Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D., W.Va.) - who keeps a copy of the Constitution in his pocket and is frustrated by what he called a huge ignorance on the part of many Americans about history - inserted the Constitution lesson mandate into a spending bill in 2004.

Medic musing: Maybe Sen. Byrd oughta take it out of his pocket and look at it every now and then!

(snip)

National surveys and test scores in recent years have shown that many students do not know much about history. A study of high school students' attitudes this year showed that most take the First Amendment to the Constitution for granted. More than one in three students said the First Amendment went too far in guaranteeing freedom of religion, speech and the press.

Yet some education groups say Congress has no business dictating what schools and universities must do on a certain day.

Medic Musing: Why not? The ACLU gets away with it every day!!