高等教育的学术标准正在经历可衡量的下降，经合组织（OECD）的测试表明，大学生的读写能力低于十年前。在美国，大约七分之一的大专院校学生在读写测试中的得分不比典型的十岁孩子好，而近五分之一的学生在计算能力方面处于该水平。这一趋势是由与大流行相关的教育中断、学校成绩下降以及大学入学标准的广泛放宽（例如放弃SAT等标准化测试）所推动的。

这种下降导致了重大的资源浪费，因为大学被迫开设基础中学课程的补习班，将精力和资金从高级教学中转移出来。此外，猖獗的成绩通胀掩盖了学生技能的下降；例如，在哈佛大学，优秀（A）成绩的比例从2005年占所有成绩的24%飙升至去年的60%，促使该大学最终实施了严格的限制。尽管密西西比等州以及新加坡和英格兰等国家通过严格的课程改革提高了标准，但许多美国机构仍继续招收面临高退学风险的准备不足的学生。

为了扭转这一趋势，教育政策应侧重于恢复高入学标准并扩大非大学途径，例如学徒制。尽管社区大学具有作为敲门砖的实用性，但随着更多学生注册苛刻的四年制项目，这些机构的入学人数却在下降。在没有确保学生获得必要技能的情况下提高他们的受教育水平并不能促进公平；相反，这代表了机构责任的失败，最终损害了最弱势的学生。

Academic standards in higher education are experiencing a measurable decline, with OECD tests indicating that college students are less literate than they were a decade ago. In the United States, approximately one in seven college and university students scores no better in literacy tests than a typical ten-year-old, while nearly one in five performs at that level in numeracy. This trend is driven by pandemic-related educational disruption, falling school marks, and the widespread relaxation of university admissions standards, such as the abandonment of standardized tests like the SAT.

This decline has led to significant resource wastage, as universities are forced to offer remedial courses in basic secondary school subjects, redirecting time and money away from advanced instruction. Additionally, rampant grade inflation has masked the drop in student skills; for instance, at Harvard, the share of A grades rose from 24% of all marks in 2005 to 60% last year, prompting the university to finally impose strict limits. While some states like Mississippi and countries like Singapore and England have improved standards through rigorous curriculum reforms, many American institutions continue to admit ill-prepared students who face high dropout risks.

To reverse this decline, educational policy should focus on restoring high admissions standards and expanding non-university pathways, such as apprenticeships. Despite the utility of community colleges as stepping stones, enrollment in these institutions is declining even as more students enroll in demanding four-year programs. Raising students through educational levels without ensuring they acquire necessary skills does not foster equity; rather, it represents a failure of institutional responsibility that ultimately harms the most vulnerable students.

Source: University-for-all harms poor students the most

Subtitle: Time for sane standards in higher education

Dateline: 6月 25, 2026 03:29 上午