MovieChat Forums > Blue State (2008) Discussion > Is it True Canadian students have to stu...

Is it True Canadian students have to study a year of U.S. history?

posted 14 years ago by e1718
7 replies | jump to latest

In the movie when he is downtown talking to the guy about citizenship he told him that Canadians had to study a whole year of U.S. history.

[–] kims_smilin 14 years ago

Not in any province I have lived in...

[–] DrakeStraw 12 years ago

A lady from Québec told me that Canadians in some other provinces don't even have to study French, which logically would be a priority over U.S. history. She had to study English and would have been at a disadvantage had she not. It's a must for the job she's in.

--
Drake

FYI

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[–] e1718 12 years ago

Oh wow it seems like French should be mandatory subject to study there nationwide for at least a year...

[–] tim-stein 11 years ago

Oh wow it seems like French should be mandatory subject to study there nationwide for at least a year...

Really? Why would you think that? How did you come to that conclusion? Canada is officially a bi-lingual country. However, that really has no full appplication across this country. The French Canadians are mostly all in Quebec, and those who move to other provinces learn English quickly to avoid being left in the dust. The only nationally bi-lingual thing going on here is the labelling of all our products in both languages. there is practically no non-government signage in both languages. You find French signs in Quebec, and English signs in the rest of Canada (comprising of 9 other provinces and three territories).

In the 70's, the guy who was leader, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, basically alienated 95% of this country when he did such billiant things as enacting the Official Languages Act in 1969, and devaluing the Canadian dollar with the mistaken belief that it would improve our ecomony. he also made mortal enemies with "The West" with something called the National Energy Program" which basically robbed the Western provinces in order to prop up the Eastern provinces (mainly Quebec and Ontario).

When I was in elementary school in the late 70's I was living in Ontario, and yes, french WAS mandatory for grades 8 and 9. It wasn't mandatory in Alberta, where I am originally from and have been living for almost 30 years.

I had always figured that Ontario's scolastic system had French class mandatory because 1)it was run by a Liberal government, and 2) it was next door to Quebec, never mind that the capitol is in Ontario.

As a Canadian, I strongly believe that official bi-lingualism is a lot more than just a waste of time. I have no desire nor need to converse in French, and in today's global economy, there are several more important languages. Sorry, French people, but the language is a niche one...

[–] wgfaej 11 years ago

Bit old here but ya, I did but my kids didn't so at one point yes. Not so much now. Those who don't have kids still believe it. Me, having two kids just finished high school It isn't so much anymore.

[–] bruce-129 8 years ago

Surely for a country like Canada North American History would make sense
in terms of how to frame history. Good and bad Canadians should know about
the US ... at some point we will be coming to get you ... ie NAFTA, tar sands, etc.

[–] QcLoser 7 years ago

Not around here, we talked about it for a couple hours at the most