Remedial education

Postsecondary remedial education (also known as postsecondary remediation, developmental education, basic skills education, or preparatory education) is large and growing segment of higher education in the United States. It is composed primarily of sequences of increasingly advanced courses designed to bring underprepared students to the level of skill competency expected of new college freshmen. Estimates suggest that as many as 41% of all new college freshmen enroll in remedial coursework during their postsecondary pursuits.

Postsecondary remediation is a controversial issue. As Bahr explains, "On one hand, it fills an important niche in U.S. higher education by providing opportunities to rectify disparities generated in primary and secondary schooling, to develop the minimum skills deemed necessary for functional participation in the economy and the democracy, and to acquire the prerequisite competencies that are crucial for negotiating college-level coursework. On the other hand, critics argue that taxpayers should not be required to pay twice for the same educational opportunities, that remediation diminishes academic standards and devalues postsecondary credentials, and that the large number of underprepared students entering colleges and universities demoralizes faculty. Following from these critiques, some have argued for a major restructuring of remediation or even the elimination of remedial programs altogether."