College Students Lacking Basic Skills

A recent article written by the Associated Press claims that the average college graduate from both two year and four year programs lacks common skills needed in today’s world. The study found that about 75% of two year program graduates and 50% of four year program graduates have trouble with balancing checkbooks, leaving tips at restaurants, understanding and analyzing news articles and understanding the differences among credit card offers.

If college graduates can’t perform these simple tasks, how valuable can a college education really be? An educated population is supposed to lead to better jobs, higher salaries and an overall better life. That is the benefit of going to college and not entering the workforce directly out of high school.

But if this information presented is true, and our education system is failing, what are the consequences and can the situation be reversed? In a competitive world where knowledge can lead to success, I certainly hope so. Otherwise, those higher paying jobs that college is supposed to help us get are going to go elsewhere. When that happens, unemployment will rise; making that college degree almost worthless.

But I think there is another dimension to this issue. There is obviously a hole somewhere is the education system, but is it at the college level? Knowing that not everyone will go to college; shouldn’t high schools be teaching students this basic knowledge? College graduates are not the only people who are going to eat at restaurants, balance checkbooks and read newspapers. What do you think?