Question. "How much do most students know about history, science, math, literature, arts, etc.? Have they a well-rounded education?"

That, by the way, is not a new thought. People have been asking and demanding that their kids got more than a diploma when schooling is supposed to be pretty much over. It's not that we all stop learning, but were we prepared to handle the real world of politics, competition, requirements and the demands of family, disasters, options and opportunities? I've heard and read this most of my life, "The American dream is available for every person who is prepared and ready for the challenge."

Unfortunately, I have also heard and read that lots of folks out there are saying that it's not a dream, it's a nightmare.

My opinion is that education is not to enable students to make more money — I say this with fingers crossed — but to make students more responsible citizens.

Some reports I have read say about the same thing, "Students only achieved a passing grade in four out of 11 subjects (required) and displayed a lack of knowledge in the necessary ability to obtain facts and make conclusions by using the facts."

An example comes from my family. My niece, who owned her legal aid business in Boston, told me that she hires graduates from some of the finest universities in the states. She said, "I also fire most of them after six or eight weeks."

"Why?"

"Because I will give them something related to my business and they will look at me blankly and ask, 'What do you want me to do with this?' "My answer is, 'You're a graduate that just passed the Bar Exam. Figure it out yourself and show me your answer and how you got it. They obviously either failed or didn't take the classes on critical thinking."

I kid you not.

Now to the core. Here comes a real-life survey (names omitted so as to not offend the schools). A total of 167 students took the survey, nearly two-thirds had 3.0 GPAs, a third should graduate cum laude. They were to answer 40 multiple-choice questions. Hang on now. Thirty-four questions were answered correctly by only three students and the remaining students scored, on the average, about 52 percent correctly. If letter grades were given, none would get an A, eight would get a B, 13 would earn a C, 24 a D and 122 would fail.

Hang on to your shorts! One of the questions asked, "Identify Snoop Doggy Dogg."

Ninety-eight percent got this one right. "He was a rapper."

Here are some questions from the survey. No peeking until you've finished reading. "Who invented calculus? Renoir and Monet belong to which school of art? A line passes through (-4,4) and (4,-6). What is the slope of this line? An object has a positive electric charge whenever...? What poet wrote "Oh Captain, My Captain"? What are the four basic forces in the universe? Who performed the 12 great labors? The term Reconstruction refers to? Who is the author of "Crime and Punishment?" What is the War Powers Resolution passed by Congress in 1973?" Fortunately, you won't be asked any of these questions in your job interview.

When I had the honor of teaching at a junior college, I warned my students that there are some skills every applicant must have when being interviewed. We covered almost everything in depth and in detail. Then came the most important warning. Many companies are using very sophisticated tests that search for problem-solving skills, reasoning and ability to work with fellow employees, customers, management and business requirements. Grades are important, good manners are expected and good looks might help a bit. But if the test indicates that you can't figure out what the problem seems to be and then select the best possible solutions and apply them courageously, you most likely won't get a second interview.

On a personal note, if I were hiring in today's market, I would look for a candidate who appeared to live by biblical standards: honesty, integrity, love, compassion, fairness, love, forgiveness, meaning and purpose. Is that hope for education too difficult to teach? I don't think so!

Oh, yes ... the answers:

Isaac Newton; Impressionism; -5/4; Whenever it contains a deficiency of electrons; Walt Whitman; gravity-electromagnetism-strong nuclear force-weak nuclear force; Hercules; readmission of the Confederate states and protection of the rights of Black citizens; Dostoyevsky; restrain the president's ability to use the military without congressional approval. I got Snoop Dogg right.