[HonorInPa]

I live next door to a provost at a private college. He said that for most students, the first two years of college are now spent learning things that used to be required to be learned in high school and were prerequisities for college.

[ClearCase_guy]

Yes. I think the real solution is to get rid of government schools. High Schools today are a waste of time. People need better options (school choice, home schooling, online distance learning, etc.).

Ideally, when a person is 18, they ought to know all of the basics needed to live a normal life and pursue most careers. We are no where near that today, because we don’t actually educate kids.

[A_perfect_lady]

for most students, the first two years of college are now spent learning things that used to be required to be learned in high school and were prerequisities for college.

Yep. Because if we high school teachers actually were allowed to hold them to the standards we pretend to, and grade them accordingly, 65-70% would not graduate. They can barely read, barely write, and have no interest in homework, or effort.

[ladyjane]

I can tell you there are a significance number of college seniors at universities whose name you would recognize who could not tell you which of the following values is the smallest:
a. .1
b. .19
c. .091

When asked why they chose the incorrect answer they invariably respond: “With decimals, everything works backwards to the right of the decimal.”

Sad but true and widespread.