How shocking Bertie! You had better get busy educating. Most Europeans, whom I mix with, on a daily basis, definitely know about history and geography including royal families and not on the "what colour socks do they wear" level.
Are you really are talking about teachers at your school? I am really shocked I am afraid.
Is it an outback school?
No it isn't an outback school and that wouldn't make any difference as all teachers in NSW have the same requirements regarding their qualifications etc. We actually believe that it doesn't matter where a student goes to school the teachers have to meet the same standards and across each state learn the same courses - with the nation moving towards a national curriculum in about 2 years (which also doesn't have a huge increase in European affairs if we get the extra 30 hours a year for History that the National Curriculum would like - can't see it happening actually as subjects like Art and Music would have to lose hours).
We don't teach any of that stuff in our schools so why would we know it? Even when I was at school in the 1970s we didn't do much European history and no European Geography - we did the History of our own country, New Zealand and other Asian nations plus a bit of Germany 1918 - 1945 and Russia during the Revolution - no French Revolution or anything like that. I didn't get that until university.
Our Year 7 course in History for instance, is a study of What is History and one ancient/medieval society plus one society that had been colonised besides Australia and the Geography course involves a unit called What is Geography and lots of Geography skills followed by a study of living in couple of different types of landforms such as Deserts and Mountains.
Year 8 moves into another ancient/medieval society (of which across the two years at least one has to be non-European - leaving one European ancient or medieval society - my school like about 80% of them does Egypt and Vikings) and colonisation of Australia from the Aboriginal perspective. Geograhpy is about issues such as Access to Fresh Water.
Year 9 and 10 is totally 20th Australian History and Issues affecting Australian Geography such as Climate Change and Population Growth. If kids continue with History into the final two years of High School then again the push is away from Europe with the requirement in Modern History for one of the three topics taught in Year 11 to be non-European. In the HSC course after Germany 1918 - 1939 and Russia 1918 - 1941 there are very few topics left for schools to choose as about 85% of students do one of these two and about the same percentage study either Albert Speer, Leni Riefenstahl or Leon Trotsky for their personality. Of the final topic - International Conflicts the majority of students study Indo-China, Arab-Israeli, Conflict in Europe 1935 - 45 or South Africa. So you see modern Europe doesn't get a mention and even if it did the royals don't get a mention - even in Conflict in Europe 1935 - 45 most students wouldn't even know what any of the royals did as it isn't a requirement. I mention George VI only in regard to how Churchill actually became PM and that is all as it isn't relevant to a 30 hour course that covers such a huge topic - we don't do the war in the Atlantic for instance or living in occupied Europe as there simply isn't time.
There is no time for the teaching of European History or Geography at all and no real interest to do so by most teachers that I know. But even if not teachers, since my last post I have spoken to 6 elderly friends (all over 65) and none of them can name any of the monarchs other than Elizabeth although they know that Denmark has a royal family (thanks to Mary) and they think that Sweden and Norway may have one but only one knew that Spain had one. Our syllabus and government is moving us into the Asian sphere of influence, especially as that is where our future lies - in Asia not Europe.
The non-British royals get no coverage here except for the occasion mention of Mary (our Princess). I have had kids tell me that she will be the next Queen of Australia as that is what their parents believe and have even had an argument with one parent who has told me that the Australian government passed legislation to have that happen when she became the Crown Princess. The parent wasn't convinced mind you and I wouldn't be surprised if other Australians believe the same thing.
Maybe it's Walter Bage-who?
You have explained that very well. I have heard about the lean towards Asia in Australia and that it is quite common for Japanese to be taught instead of what was considered "the" first foreign language to be learnt, French.
