Been going on for a while. I hired a lot of students from top universities around the country - undergrads and grads. "Best and Brightest" was our recruiting mantra. Some of these hand picked, top of class, "A" students struggled to write clearly and get to the point succinctly. That was 20+ years ago and I'm sure it has not improved.
Kids school assignment reading is viewed mostly to answer questions - just finish the assignment. Reading should be a path, not to answering questions, but making the right questions inescapable. I see this in otherwise capable adults who are of the opinion that data and information is to answer questions rather that to ask the right questions. This, along with other educational trends is why the US is trailing much of the world in knowledge, intelligence and education - among other things.
I'm of the view that good writing comes, at least in part, from a lot of reading. There are alternatives to the traditional ink on paper media and, while there is nothing wrong with that on the surface, it leaves "readers" with limited experience in reading as electronic media is mostly short pieces and summaries. From about the 2nd or 3rd grade through high school I read a few books a month outside of assignments and still read at least a few books a year. I attribute my ability to learn and problem solve is an extension of that.
Yes, the schools have too many problems dumped on their plate so time and focus has been taken away from the basics. Its tough to push scholastic progress while dealing with all the other requirement places on schools and teachers. I've run a NFP that works with kids education and we see it everyday. The other big piece that we miss is the fact that education should take place primarily in the home. I don't mean homeschooling but parents and families engaged with the kids in learning - taking what they glean in the classroom and running with it. The prevailing view today is that the schools are, or should be, the primary source of leaning - a misguided view.
