That’s how Will Fitzhugh explains the weak state of most of the American education system, kindergarten through college. You can read his latest article here.
Money quote: “the message that sends down the line to students is that their job is to get through high school with a minimum of work, while it is someone else’s responsibility to educate them.”
Put hordes of academically indifferent kids in college and the result, of course, is that standards are driven down relentlessly.