Learn or repeat

When I was at school in the 1950s, kids failing to meet competent reading, writing and arithmetic standards were kept down to repeat the year before moving ahead (“One in 10 student teachers failing the basics”, 20/7). Surely, it is time to reintroduce the system of general 3R competencies in the early years of education to ensure all tertiary students, not just potential teachers, can read, write and add up.