I mean c'mon, in school we were taught that Pluto is a planet and then later we were categorically told (off) it isn't! Today's facts are tomorrow's fiction. By the way, did the channel realise that its cartoon shows led to the children not studying their astronomy.

Toby (34 year old relic), Calcutta, India

Winston Chrurchill was the first black U.S President
(according to some Americans surveyed)

jayil, london, uk

“The black hole in their knowledge...”? Whatever does that mean? Does the author of this piece know any more about astronomy than the children in the survey?

Neill Foster, Bucks, UK

It might be of incredible importance to some, but there are far more important things that young students should learn and some of them being civility to others, good manners and kindness. I am more impressed by a well mannered, well dressed child than one who looks like an unmade bed, swears, but knows all the planets in alphabetical order.

Phil de Buquet, Newport, England

Probably had a choice of mickey mouse or winston churchill, probably another phoney survey

willi, lincoln, notts

Winston Chrurchill also invented the lightbulb.

Chris Dalton, Derry, N.Ireland

The worrying thing is the at least 1% who can learn the planets in order, but then can't count to nine as they say them!!!!

Cliff, Bury St Edmunds,

We should not be too hard on our children for saying that Winston Churchill walked on the moon. My son recently uttered the very same, and I swiftly corrected him. Everyone knows that it was Winston who landed the World War II bomber: it was the other one who did the walking.

Des, Edinburgh,

Reporting this sort of thing is meaningless if we can't see the original questions. Presumably the Churchill question was a multiple-choice question of "Which one of these people have you heard of?", rather than kids volunteering Churchill as an astronaut, out of nowhere. And "unable to identify the Moon in a series of pictures" - pictures of what?

Toby Simpson, London,

This sounds to me like the people conducting the poll did not do their job correctly. Giving very young children multiple choice questions is only good for analysing one thing, and that is how children respond to mulitple choice questions. Or, no hang on that can't be right! No, it must be that we are failing our children and we should subject school teachers to even more rigorous scrutiny. Yes that sounds better.

Tom Fotheringham, London,

I am not surprised that 72% could not identify thr Moon as it is virtually identical to Mercury, and just as artificial, probably the second Moon referred to in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles,{this night were seen two Moons in the sky].
So much truth has been hidden from us all, {children in particular] that it's a wonder they can be sure of anything!

Clive Burghard LANCING, LANCING, ENGLAND

Well, you can forgive them for not knowing how many planets there are even astronomers are divided on the issue. 8? 9? or even more depending on your definition.

Colin Mclaren, Bolton, UK