CHILDREN in Britain and Ireland in the early 1990s showed markedly less knowledge of politics and current affairs than their counterparts 11 years earlier, according to a long term study whose results were published yesterday.
Overall scores on knowledge of current affairs declined among 12 year olds in Dublin, Belfast and London between 1981 and 1992. Dublin children scored highest in both periods, and boys generally had higher scores than girls.
The study, Changing Times, Challenges to Identity, surveyed aspects of the everyday lives and attitudes of 12 year olds in west Belfast, east Belfast, Dublin and London in 1981 and 1992.
It was carried out by a TCD psychology lecturer, Dr Jean Whyte, who lived and worked in Belfast from 1966 to 1985. It was introduced in Dublin yesterday by the chairwoman of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Judge Catherine McGuinness.
On 10 politics questions in 1981, the Dublin children were ahead of the others with a mean score of 8.5. West Belfast came next (6.5) followed by London (5.5) and east Belfast (5.4). Scores on the same questions were considerably lower in 1992 (see graph), but the relative rankings of the four groups was the same.
For example, in 1981, 91 per cent of the west Belfast children and 96 per cent of Dublin children could name Mrs Margaret Thatcher as British prime minister. Fewer could name the British prime minister in 1992, with 73 per cent of west Belfast children and 66 per cent of Dublin children naming Mr John Major.
The children were asked to name the US and Russian presidents, the British prime minister, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach. They were also asked the voting age, the names of three political parties and the meanings of the initials EEC, UNO and MP.
On international affairs in both 1981 and 1992, Dublin children were the most knowledgeable, followed by those from west Belfast, east Belfast and finally, London.
Generally girls showed a greater interest in news items presented by the media, but boys had higher scores for knowledge of these items.
Belfast children were considerably more optimistic about the future in 1992 than they were in 1981, according to the study.
In 1981, just after the hunger strikes, the children in Belfast were much more pessimistic about their future than were the children in Dublin and London. In, 1992, however, their aspirations were less materialistic and they had a more positive view of education.