Are Today's Students Uneducated and Unfit for College?

Today on Joanne Jacobs's blog, she reports on Penn State University accounting professor J. Edward Ketz's op-ed arguing that today's students are "uneducated and unfit for a college education." Although at first glance one might be tempted to dismiss this assertion as extreme, the author draws upon 30-plus years of teaching experience and convincingly supports his conclusions.

Ketz doesn't believe there are differences in "native, raw intelligence" between today's students and those of previous generations. Rather, the discrepancies lie "in their educational backgrounds, analytical thinking, quantitative skills, reading abilities, willingness to work, and their attitudes concerning the educational process."

As an accounting professor, Ketz's observations focus on deficiencies in mathematical preparation for the requirements of an accounting major. However, the problems he sees aren't restricted to this area but are much broader, encompassing not only an inability to read but also to think well and work hard. He blames this situation—and today's students' high self-esteem, which appears unwarranted—on K–12 education.

Is Ketz right? And if he is, can anything be done to rectify the situation, or has our society evolved (or deteriorated) to the point where previous assumptions about the preparation for and purpose of a college education are no longer relevant? Cast your vote in the poll to the right and feel free to add your comments. (This poll is now closed—thanks for voting! The poll asked whether today's students are less fit for college; out of 32 respondents, 71.9% said yes, 12.5% said no, and 15.6% were not sure.)