Canadian college students can't read or write, either. Last week the University of Ottawa reported that it had hired two statisticians to track the language skills of this year's entering freshmen. With the aim of identifying students in need of remediation, Ottawa sought to uncover such basic information as which first-year students are capable of writing a grammatically correct sentence in English, French, or, failing those, in any language. Not many were. And yet, their high school grades don't suggest that there is a problem.

The Globe and Mail reports that Canadian colleges are having to sink substantial funds into remedial academic support centers to compensate for the high schools' failure to provide adequate grounding in reading, writing, and mathematics. Last year, 2,500 of Ottawa's entering freshmen needed help with the basics of essay-writing, grammar, and punctuation. Things are similarly disturbing at the University of Waterloo, where students are tested on their writing skills early in their first semester; 25% fail the test--which involves writing a standard five-paragraph theme, and which assesses grammar, punctuation, and structure--outright.

Bernie Gaidosch, an English instructor at Toronto's George Brown College, says he is used to seeing students come to college with ninth-grade-level writing skills:

Kids are coming out [of high school] with some idea of content. They're just not graduating with skills. ... Students are great at e-mailing. They're good with the Internet . . . but when it comes to basic literacy, basic writing skills, they're challenged.

The Globe and Mail cites a recent UCLA survey that found that 40% of American professors feel college students are not prepared, skill-wise, for college-level work. Canada has no similar survey, but it sounds like it needs one. Once the extent of the problem is documented, analysis and informed plans for change can begin. Unless, of course, ideology stands in the way.

Thanks to Maurice Black for the tip.

This is no surprise at all. I taught a World Civ course at a university close to the Canadian border that welcomed a few thousand extra Canadian students after Canada did away with "13th grade". I found no difference at all between the Canadian and American students writing skills (meaning they were mostly poor to average writers), except that the Canadian students felt slightly more shame after being called on these failings. But, in my experience, many of students who have the ability to write good papers just do not see the value in proofreading their work.

I have come across the full array of bad writers in my teaching, from students who will turn in a paper in all capital letters, to students who include the words "like" and even "um" in their papers. In my opinion, it is the lazy students who are just glad the paper is done and refuse to proofread who are making their generation look illiterate.

My colleagues (college math instructors in Canada) and I have similar experiences with students who, with rare exception, arrive at university without grade nine-level math skills. But I hadn't realized how bad their English skills were until one of the sessionals told me about a homework question that had caused a lot of problems in his class of preservice teachers. The problem my colleague gave read, "Bob has $20. How much does he have left after he gives 15% of it to Susie?"

A dozen-odd of his kids - all of them adults, all of them unilingual anglophones - complained that this was a MATH class, not an ENGLISH class, and he had no right to test them on their English.

I also routinely have students call me over during tests to ask me to explain a word problem. Much of the time, all I need to do is read the question aloud to them, and they understand it. And their high school grades do not suggest that there is a problem: many of my failing pupils (including those who can't make sense of a simple paragraph of text) were A students in high school.

I never know how to deal with this when I teach college classes. On the one hand, it's not my job to teach them the grade 7-12 material that they need in order to succeed in my class. On the other hand, if I don't, who will?

Just to add to my previous comment, and based on the comment above this one, I too have had students complain about being graded on "English" ability, but in history class. Where they get the idea that subjects are so clearly seperated is beyond me (somewhat). Even after I explain to them that their ideas are near-worthless if they can't convey them properly, I still get complaints when they are stripped of entire letter grades for not writing a well-structured, grammar-conscious paper. "This is history, not English" is the single most annoying thing that comes out of their mouths (besides "is this going to be on the test?").

American college-level biology prof here.

I get complaints about "This isn't English class" all the time when I ask for papers, or when I grade those papers so that grammar and spelling count for a part of the grade. I point out to the students that being able to communicate clearly, no matter what field you are working in, is important.

They don't always buy that, though.

I've also had students ask me if they could make up a Powerpoint presentation and e-mail it to me instead of writing a research paper because - get this - "I don't like to write."

(Then why are you gunning for a career where writing reports will be part of your expected duties?)

One unfortunate truth about the problem of high school grads' writing skills is that they don't improve much in college. Last year, the College Board issued a report on writing in the workplace that showed deplorable skill levels among new hires fresh out of college. The comments by human resources and managers about the verbal talents of these BAs were withering. Check out an NY Times story on the report entitled "What Corporate America Can't Build: A Sentence."

"I've also had students ask me if they could make up a Powerpoint presentation and e-mail it to me instead of writing a research paper because - get this - "I don't like to write."

Maybe this is yet another of the umpteen reasons I probably shouldn't ever consider teaching, since the first response that comes to my mind is, "then why the fuck are you in college?"

I don't think the above is any reason not to teach college students. After all, they will think it's ok to ask such things until someone tells them it's not. So just be that person.

But, the request itself is just another example of American universities becoming service industries. Students ask for what they want without any regard for what their role in university culture is. They don't get education/grades "their way, right away". I've had students go so far as to ask for grades before (as in "I can't get a C in this class, can I have an A-?"). Before one goes into teaching it might be good to practice not laughing in people's faces. The urge is sometimes strong.