College Skills Gap: OECD Data Show Reading and Math Lags in Higher Ed

An OECD Survey of Adult Skills (about 160,000 people across 38 countries) finds 8% of college students read at a 10-year-old level and 9% do math at that level, with higher shares in the US and Israel; potential causes include pandemic learning gaps, lower admissions standards, and funding cuts, while debates about AI tools loom. A Minneapolis classroom that banned devices saw reading confidence rise from 46% to 95% in a few months, suggesting technology use in schools can affect basic skills and that urgent action is needed to address these gaps in higher education.