Quote Originally Posted by Yawning Angel
I think one of the harder problems in education is judging how well students are doing. I can't speak for the US, but in the UK we have had something like 20+ years of continually improving pass rates and % getting top grades at GCSE (16 yr olds) and A level (18). There are two schools (sorry couldn't resist ) of thought on this, the exams are getting easier or the kids are doing better.

I am fairly firmly of the former opinion, I have done some teaching of 1st year chemistry university undergrads and there has clearly been a trend of students having less basic subject knowledge as well as an increased expectation that everything should be handed to them on a plate.

Personally I blame successive governments setting targets and publishing league tables that force schools to train people how to pass a test and not teach them the subject.
As a Chemist, how scientific are you being about this? Is it not true that applications to Chemsitry degree courses are declining? Has your college/university dropped the grades it requires for Chemistry courses? Might this not explain why your students have less basic subject knowledge? All levels of education have a certain contempt for the phase below them. The funny thing is that when I was an undergraduate over 20 years ago, I remember my tutor making the same complaint about a basic lack of knowlege shown by those starting the course in the year below me.

As for the "handed on a plate" bit, unfortunately this is true, and your diagnosis of the cause is correct. The damage is done at GCSE and you can't do much at A level to put it right.