Content is not mere facts, drummed into tender little minds under the relentless pounding of rote learning. Content–even the date of the Quebec Act, Confederation, or the Battle of Vimy Ridge, or the name of the first prime minister– is cultural capital, a basic requirement of life that every Canadian needs to comprehend the daily newspaper, to watch the TV news or a documentary, or to argue about politics and cast a reasonably informed vote. In an increasingly complex and immediate world, cultural capital must also include some knowledge of Europe, Africa, and Asia, too.



