日本大學生數學和理論思考能力退步

Last month the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:
数学の基礎学力や論理的思考力が十分身についておらず、２４％の大学生が、小学６年で習う「平均」の考え方を尋ねる問題が分からなかったことが２４日、日本数学会が実施した「大学生数学基本調査」で分かった。
　大学生を対象にした同学会の大規模な調査は初という。平均の問題は理工系の学生も１８％が間違えるなど学力不足の現状が浮かんだ。
　同学会理事長の宮岡洋一東大教授は「『ゆとり教育』と学力試験を課さない推薦入試の増加が学力低下に拍車を掛けた」とみている。
(試譯文)
On the 24th it was understood from the "college student mathematics data survey" carried out by the Mathematical Society of Japan that the mathematical basic scholarship or logical thinking ability were not enough; and that 24% of college students did not understand questions that required the concept of "average" to answer, a concept learned in the six-year elementary school.
It was said that this was the first large-scale investigation of the society on college students. Regarding the "questions on average", 18% of the students from the science-and-engineering system had made mistakes, reflecting the current situation that student's academic ability was insufficient.
Professor Yoichi Miyaoka of the University of Tokyo as the chairman of the board of directors of the same society concluded that "'pressure-free-education' together with an increase in the admission based on recommendation which does not impose ability test have accelerated the decline in academic achievement."

Perhaps it is time for Japan to review their "pressure-free-education" system.