Remedial Classes at Colleges

Regarding the remedial English and math classes at the UC and CSU campuses: My son, now a freshman at Cal Poly Pomona, was surprised to find he needed to take a remedial English class after taking the required placement test. He graduated in the top quarter of his class from a well-respected Catholic high school (Damien) where at least 96% of the graduates go on to college. He received A’s and B’s in his English classes throughout high school, although, his strengths lie in the math and science areas.

There are many students who are well qualified to be in college and will be productive workers in the future with their education. If a single test is given to determine English or math skills and a student is found to be weak in an area, then why jeopardize the rest of his/her college experience by forcing the student to add to the already overburdened junior college system, or not allowing him/her to even attend the four-year school? Offer the remedial class and let them continue with their program. In the meantime, work on bolstering the quality of the high school English and math classes.

SHARON HERDINA

La Verne

Your headline “Cal State Remedial Classes Face Tough Test” (Feb. 21) begs a basic question: Why are students being handed a high school diploma, despite not possessing basic academic skills? The obvious answer points to the dismal state of public education in California. The diminishing resources allocated to our university systems are ill-spent on teaching what should have been taught in high school. The money and time spent on remedial university classes should be shifted to our high schools.

GREGORY J. KATZ

Long Beach

I favor the continuation of remedial classes in mathematics and English in the Cal State system because of their importance in maintaining access to higher education for disadvantaged students. However, I believe that the cost of those courses should not come from the already heavily burdened budget of the CSU, but should be funded by California’s K-12 system, which bears the primary responsibility. With this incentive, as the preparation of students improves, less money will have to be transferred.

LARRY W. COHEN

Professor of Biology

Cal State San Marcos

Donna Webster-Davis, an English teacher, raised a very valid question (Commentary, Feb. 22) to the self-conflicting policy practiced by the Cal State schools in eliminating remedial classes and lowering entrance requirement at the same time. The answer is simple: economy. One trims down the expenses and the other enhances the revenue in head counts. This is called good management in business.

PAUL CHOW

Northridge