{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1786624,
        "msgid": "lecturers-give-up-as-new-students-fail-to-grasp-secondary-school-level-mathematics-1780653121",
        "date": "2026-06-05 16:20:00",
        "title": "Lecturers Give Up as New Students Fail to Grasp Secondary School-Level Mathematics",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Technology",
        "summary": "Academics at the University of California are calling for the reinstatement of entrance exams after observing that a third of new students enrolling in calculus exhibit severe deficiencies in basic mathematics. The dons report having to teach secondary school-level maths alongside university material, a trend they link to the abandonment of standardised tests and the rising influence of artificial intelligence. The issue highlights growing global concerns that AI tools may be contributing to a decline in critical thinking and foundational academic skills.",
        "content": "<p>The impact of artificial intelligence on students\u2019 academic abilities\nis becoming apparent, with lecturers at the University of California\nrequesting their institution to reinstate entrance examinations because\nthe mathematics proficiency of new undergraduates now falls below\nsecondary school level. Futurism, citing The Wall Street Journal,\nreported that the request was made by lecturers in a letter to\nUniversity of California leadership. American universities typically use\nstandardised written tests such as the SAT and ACT. However, all\ncampuses within the University of California system enforce a policy\nprohibiting the use of written examinations as an entry requirement,\narguing they are biased towards racial inequality. Besides the tests\nbeing fee-based, students from affluent families benefit from being able\nto attend various preparatory courses, with white students having a\npotential 13 times higher chance of admission compared to\nunderprivileged students from diverse backgrounds. The problem,\naccording to mathematics and science lecturers at the University of\nCalifornia, is that a third of students taking a calculus course for the\nfirst time now exhibit severe preparedness deficits. They stated, \u2018We\nobserve that the readiness gap is so severe that instructors must\nreteach secondary school-level mathematics while delivering the material\nrequired for science, engineering, economics, and other fields needing\nquantitative skills. UC resources are limited and can only assist a\nrestricted number of students.\u2019 According to the WSJ, since the pandemic\n90 per cent of US universities have ceased using written tests for new\nstudent admissions. However, leading campuses are starting to reverse\nthat policy, with MIT reinstating the SAT requirement from 2022, Harvard\nin 2024, and Yale in 2026. According to Futurism, the education sector\nhas changed drastically in recent years with the emergence of AI\nchatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, which facilitate cheating.\nMany education experts are sceptical about the use of AI in learning,\nwith excessive use frequently linked to forgetfulness and the loss of\ncritical thinking.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lecturers-give-up-as-new-students-fail-to-grasp-secondary-school-level-mathematics-1780653121",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}