The roots of failure.

• Author: Bolick, E. Douglas
• Position: LETTERS - Letter to the editor

Camille Esch's interesting article on community college remedial classes ["Higher Ed's Bermuda Triangle," September/ October 2009] is like trying to saddle the proverbial horse after it has escaped the barn. I would welcome a corresponding article addressing the proximate cause of the problems: the scandalous pre-college undereducation of so many of the matriculating students. And why assume that college education is the Holy Grail to be pursued by everyone?

E. Douglas Bolick

Newburyport, Mass.

Camille Esch replies:

True enough: the problem of college remediation has its roots in dysfunctional high schools that don't prepare students for college, or anything else, for that matter. But high school educators can similarly point to elementary schools, and elementary educators can in turn blame parents for their educational...