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I went to a decent state school and I distinctly remember being told over half of admitted new students tested into remedial level classes in English and/or math.

> Most people learn that by grade 10.

We wish! Most of the students I've known outside of stem will make sure they prove you wrong ;)

Basic reading, writing, and thinking are definitely high school skills. College should be teaching _critical thinking_. (I learned how to critically think shortly after starting my Honors Physics I class after mostly skating through high school.)

Sadly, it seems that 80% of college grads somehow never learn critical thinking. In my experience, non-STEM classes are not very good at teaching critical thinking, but perhaps that was just an artifact of the university I attended.

People learn to do those things by grade 2.

They really, really don't.

IMO even most college graduates can't read or write worth a damn. Possibly they can think, but it's hard to tell.