> This doesn't sound like a higher education problem I agree with you. The problem is that many high school graduates are functionally illiterate and innumerat

> This doesn't sound like a higher education problem I agree with you. The problem is that many high school graduates are functionally illiterate and innumerate. Those that are not manage to go to college and graduate. Employers have noticed this and are using a Bachelor's Degree as a screening criteria for basic literacy. The root cause of the problem is long before college. When the article says that advanced math is needed for tractor repair, they don't mean anything that would be studied in a math major. They mean competence with arithmetic and very basic algebra such as understanding how to plug measured numbers into a formula and calculate the result using a calculator, in addition to the ability to follow simple step by step instructions in a repair manual which is generously illustrated.