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Our President aims to create more jobs by ensuring at least 5 million college graduates by the year 2020. Of course, this project is commendable given the situation our country is in economy wise as well as in the field of education. However, a recent study reveals disturbing results that could bring a pause to the entire effort.

According to this study, no progress is shown by half the college students in areas such as written communication, complex reasoning and critical thinking especially in the first couple of years. Even after four years of college, there is no significant improvement in students in these cognitive skills.

This disturbing and discouraging data makes it imperative for spending more taxpayer money on enhancing these skills in students. These skills are absolutely essential if we want our country to remain globally competitive. Rather than spending money on schools with a view to increase graduation rates, it is wise to first make the foundation stronger.

At least twenty four colleges were used to track more than 2000 students. Various types of colleges were chosen for this study that was conducted in the year 2005 by University of Virginia professor Josipa Roksa and New York University professor Richard Arum. The study was modeled on a reliable test known as the Collegiate Learning Assessment.

It is disheartening to see that the standard of education has dropped so much. Colleges do not demand much from students these days. In one third of the courses, students are required to read only around forty pages a week. As compared to the high school students, college students study much lesser. In olden days, college students used to study for at least 25 hours a week which has dropped to just around 13 hours today.

Fundraising, research and other interests dominate the scene and administrators and faculty members are always pre-occupied with these endeavors. Authors of this study conclude that this is the very reason why they tend to neglect undergraduate education quality that has dropped significantly. As compared to those without a college degree, value of degree for lifetime income of a person will continue to decline in the coming years.

It is indeed a sad state to find that at least a third of students tracked by them in the year 2009 were staying with their parents even after a year after graduation. Another sad state of affairs is that a third of graduates do not read newspapers, not even online with some of them reading only once a month.

For those who vociferously demand higher education success through better measurements, this is indeed a call. Accurate and strict standards must be made mandatory by regional bodies that provide accreditation for universities and colleges that want their seal of approval.

Most teachers have become experts in inflating grades even as they dumb down courses. They must be made to focus on what cognitive skills students acquire apart from the subject knowledge.  There is no use adding graduates who cannot reason, think or even write in a proper manner. It is imperative to make real learning a priority if we want our nation to show overall improvement.