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Welcome to college. Can’t even do middle school math? No problem . . . sign up here for your $100,000 student loan to take remedial courses.

Photo above - no, this is NOT a parking garage for Cybertrucks. It's the library at the University of California, San Diego. But there's not much room for books, is there?

The original article titled “The College Students Who Can’t do Elementary Math” is still behind the Wall Street Journal's paywall. Hence, the link to Fox News (below). 10% of entering freshmen at the University of California can’t do basic math. They were admitted anyway and are now taking - and paying tuition for - remedial math. (What change should you give back from $20 for something that costs $18.99?)

There are a lot of different directions we can go with this. Are 10% of the nation’s $2 trillion in student loans because public schools are incompetent, and lie about their high school diplomas? That SAT college admission scores are also worthless? That a college diploma itself is becoming pointless in the job marketplace? That we won’t need math anyway, because of spreadsheets? And we won’t need to write anything, because of ChatGPT? Maybe this death spiral is nothing to worry about.

California has one the worst public school systems in the nation. Ranked 40th. (see link below). Despite spending $18,000 a year per public school student. That’s actually MORE than the $15,000 annual tuition at UC San Diego, where so many freshmen can’t add or subtract. Of course, your tuition is “free” if you get a scholarship or meet some sort of hardship/historically disadvantaged test.

Please do not snark that this is a problem of California’s own making. The same thing is certainly happening in NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Baltimore, and Biloxi Mississippi.

There aren’t enough jobs being created in America for people who lack basic math and language skills. Starbucks barristas, McDonalds french fry cooks, and Amazon pickers are all endangered species.

If we refuse to fix our public-school crisis, then we should prepare for a lifetime of UBI for kids who play videogames and smoke pot all day. Those are possibly our only choices.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

UC San Diego finds remedial math needs up 30-fold since 2020 | Fox News

States Ranked by Education - 2023 Rankings | Scholaroo

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

Some people naturally find arithmetic (such as $20 - $18.99), let alone maths, very hard to learn.

I did!

However, this appears too widespread for individual weaknesses, so has anyone identified the reason(s)?

It is ironical that the one State that so leads the IT trade is also the worst for innumeracy. Could this reflect children, even many adults, falling into the trap of thinking that because a computer can do sums, they need not be able to do so personally?

I once put my nephew straight on that, when he reckoned you don't need learn maths because you have a calculator. I pointed out that the calculator can't do its work unless you know what to ask it to calculate, and how!

We do see widespread, poor reading and numeracy skills in the UK too, but possibly for different reasons.

One commonly suggested here, is that the more deprived your background or area the less you will learn but I am not convinced because everyone has basically the same education. If it is so, it might reflect school pupils seeing no point in making any effort.

A friend who was a teacher in one poor area said she met a few parents who did not want their children educated, because they could see no purpose, no potential escape. Or perhaps a few were jealous of their offspring having better opportunites than they and their own parents had.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@ArishMell everyone might (approximately) get the same education opportunites.

but there are vast differences in how students

1 - pay attention in class

2 - diligence in completing homework

3 - reading outside of school assigned texts

4 - choice of television/film viewing materials.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Oh yes, I agree with 1 to 3 but I reserve judgement on Point 4 simply because I don't know enough about that!

I have no TV and of course we live in different countries so do have very different TV channels.

The implication is that fewer students are at all diligent, perhaps can't be bothered, but if not, why not. Is something putting them off? Fewer potential work or higher education opportunities so less motive to work? I don't know.

AthrillatheHunt · 51-55, M

@SusanInFlorida as an educator I agree w that 100%. I offer all my students a first class education. Whether they take advantage of it is up to them .

Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

Personally I think it is the lowering of standards across the educational system.
Firstly the teachers themselves are not of the best quality anymore as the standard required to become a teacher have dropped.
Secondly behaviour in schools has dropped as teachers lack the ability to be able to discipline for bad behaviour, which in turn means less people actually want to be or wish to stay in the profession.
Thirdly students are pushed through the system and the standard to progress to the next year have been lowered because it is now not correct to fail a student anymore and make them repeat the year, or for the school to turn around and say that it your child is not good enough to do the final two years at school as they don't have the ability to learn academically beyond this point.
And it is nonsense that everyone should go on to higher education regardless of whether they are capable of doing it or not.
Taking 18.99 from $ 20 is basic arithmetic it is not maths and should not even require more that a moment's thought to achieve $ 1.01 as the answer.

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Avectoijesuismoi its probably a myth that teachers were dramatically better 50 years or more ago. if you have a chance, watch the film "peyton place" which has a side plot about promotions at the local high school.

i think todays problems are mostly driven by "social promotions". if they held back every kid who was flunking, then the number of kids in school would increase dramatically. and with it the expense.

taxpayers and teachers have a shared interest in getting the losers thru the system with as little delay and drama as possible.

but the losers shouldn't be getting scholarships to college simply because they are "historically disadvantaged" or from single parent households.

jackjjackson · M

There were more two parent households 50 years go with stay at home Moms. The parents struck the fear of God into their kids and kept them on the straight and narrow. @SusanInFlorida

Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

@SusanInFlorida I have seen the movie.
What I was saying was back when I was at school your parents were told around the age of 16 that you were incapable of doing the last two years of high school out you went and you found a job wherever they would employ you. The class I was in diminished from I think it was 30 to 14 of us that were allowed to stay on and complete our A levels which is the final two years and even then we did mocks and those they felt wouldn't pass the exams were told to leave and go find a job that if memory serves me correctly took it down to 9.
You did not get anywhere near higher education university level unless you a had the grades and the money to pay for it, got a bursary or took the student loan which you had to payback.

So if they are flunking Chuck them out and they can get on the best way they can in the real world no benefits at tax payers expense.

The major problem in the world is that they think it is somebody else's responsibility to keep them. The number is growing by the year
there are simply too many of them and insufficient number of people like yourself who are willing to work for their living and take responsibility for themselves.
I am not including people in this that genuinely have a valid reason for not being able to go out and earn a living, but I am not going to support people that think they can sit about playing video games, watching sports or Netflix etc, my advice to them is you are not my responsibility either get off your backside and go get yourself a job or you can sit there and die if starvation after which we will just cremate and dispose of you.
I didn't come from a wealthy background I came from a very ordinary working class home. But I got on with life and made myself a niche market of being a fixer)free broker.
I now reside when I am at home in the covenant part of Rancho Santa Fe California

exchrist · 36-40

Very concerning situation my experience of k12 was irrelevant information heavy stress on history(mostly revolutionary and ww2 and no useful nor employable skills taught. I sought to gain college credits in high school rather than waste the entire 4 years learning nonsense/nothing.
I received 12 college credits and published during high school. 12 credits of science research and a permanent mark in history when I won awards for my research; from the u.s. army and navy.
Regardless 9th grade to 12th grade were largely unproductive and didn’t aid my employability.
Therefore to alleviate the college debt burden that all of Americans are under only while seeking to acquire “gainful employment” 10th to 12th grade should include a career track an associates degree and/or a fast track to a job or the military.
Simple obvious. Instead? Old politicians reminiscing about Shakespeare and America’s ww2 glory days.
Also produce gasoline from hemp that’s what’s confusing the issue marijuana is psychoactive hemp is not. thc soluble in ethanol created petroleum oil evaporate the alcohol get heavy petroleum add the ethanol back get gasoline.
The original constitution was written on hemp paper. All of the founders grew hemp.
It’s extremely obvious.

God save the queenS?!

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

There are many different ranking systems for education. Maybe one dies rate CA as 40, another 30, i bet if I try hard, i will find both better or worse. That raw rank is somewhat meaningless since it lumps all populations together and may not include all populations or favor some populations.

Basic math also needs defining. We are taught that at least 30% of the US is functionally illiterate.

Yes, education is a local problem, but we need a Sputnick response or the US will sink into oblivion.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@samueltyler2 i searched hard for ANY study which ranked california at least in the top half of states. found none. you're free to conduct your own review and post anything that contracts the majority of studies.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@SusanInFlorida I have no need to do such, but you quoted the 40 rank, i did find one ranking it as 30, but that is irrelevant. You have to look at what populations each ranking uses.

It is important to note that it is certain that our education system is imperfect, regardless if it is public or private. There have been many efforts made over the past century to find a way to improve the system, none has been shown to be more effective than another. But, if you cut financial support, it is not likely to help.

fanuc2013 · 51-55, F

I heard the same from.professors when I went to college. They had to do a lot of remedial.stuff that should have been taught in high school

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@NativePortlander1970 everyone should know how fractions work, and read "moby dick"

NativePortlander1970 · 51-55

@SusanInFlorida Fractions are third grade, and I doubt Ishmael should be quoted while formulating a cosin

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jehova · 36-40, M

I noticed the top ranked states for education are blue states largely on the coasts. Usually with legal marijuana
Interesting

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@jehova upvoted. but i'm pretty sure a lot of schools in the deep south, the ozarks, etc have crappy test scores.

public school teachers in america have the second lowest SAT scores as incoming freshmen. the only students who tested worse hospitality majors.

jehova · 36-40, M

@SusanInFlorida I wonder how accurate standardized test scores really are to intelligence. It’s a lot of memorizing and typeface thinking. Certainly life isn’t only fact knowing. common sense survivability reasoning skills social ability conversation sales skills and professionalism/ productivity seem to be seriously lacking.
University (sat scores) are not more important than interpersonal skills and skill acquisition.
Hell in today’s world being a good uber driver is more successful than knowing history or gym; with far greater opportunity for income.

wildbill83 · 41-45, M

but math is "racist"...

at least according to the left when describing anyone who isn't white or asian... 🤔

jehova · 36-40, M

@wildbill83 racist because math proves there are fewer white people ?, as well as those same white people having lower rates of reproduction?
The numbers don’t LIE lol

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@wildbill83 harvard notoriously had a "cap" on asian enrollment, until a lawsuit made them stop

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jackjjackson · M

This sure sounds like a BLUE problem. Taxpayers in BLUE places are being ripped off. The current MN fraud being uncovered is the tip of the BLUE fraud iceberg.

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