From the San Jose Mercury.

But it soon became clear that the exam, which covers material up to the 10th-grade level, was a challenge for many students. So far, a little over half have passed both parts of the test.

An independent study of the exam released in May concluded not all students had been exposed to curriculum covered in the test. "It's not clear that all of the class of 2004 has had an adequate opportunity to learn the material -- in particular, the algebra and pre-algebra part," Hastings said.

Okay, maybe I'm missing something here. Isn't "learning the material" why the kids have been spending seven hours a day in our glorious public education system? Are we supposed to believe that students need additional training and education, above and beyond the normal school curriculum, to learn what they are required to know to graduate? What does this say about the school system?

Ordaz said that it is probably a "foregone conclusion" that remaining students won't have to pass the exam to graduate. "This is a real credibility issue," he said. "It leaves the perception that because students couldn't pass, they canceled it."

I'm sorry...is there some other conclusion a reasonable person could arrive at?

If a private industry performed for its customers like the public education system does, its customers would have marched on it with torches and demanded their heads on platters by now.