Dreadful government schools

This is what happens when you combine dumb, lazy teachers, who care more about students' self-esteem and sex education, with the systemic rot of political correctness, entrenched administrators, and the good-intentioned but idiotic NCLB....

Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them, a CUNY report shows.

"These results are shocking," said City College Prof. Stanley Ocken, who co-wrote the report on CUNY kids' skills. "They show that a disturbing proportion of New York City high school graduates lack basic skills."

During their first math class at one of CUNY's four-year colleges, 90% of 200 students tested couldn't solve a simple algebra problem, the report by the CUNY Council of Math Chairs found. Only a third could convert a fraction into a decimal.

When high-schools are graduating "students" who are this incapable of basic skills, what chance do they have of succeeding in college? And if their math skills are this deficient, how impaired are they likely to be in English or any other subject for that matter? Sure, they'll get admitted to college on a minority waiver, diversity program, or under-privilege scholarship program of some sort but, how long will they last? Maybe one semester at most? It is criminal to promote and graduate kids who cannot perform at basic levels but, actual learning is of no consequence to teachers' unions. Preserving dues-paying teachers' and administrators' jobs is the most important thing for the union and, in the classroom it's all about political correctness and self-esteem. Besides, to liberal teachers' unions, the dumber the population, the more likely they are to be loyal democrat voters.

Like my friend Pat over at Belchspeak says, "Reason #349 to home school".

Bonus: A virtual cookie to the first reader to solve the problem in the illustration above then, convert the answer to decimal form.

UPDATE: Regular reader Bobby T. earned a cookie with the correct answer, showing that for all the ridicule, we Alabamians are smarter than yankees from New York.