University places. Is it time to admit that the illusion-bubble has burst?

I agree that the quality of education has gone down in recent years. I believe the problem starts at the primary schoool level. Children are no longer required to memorize their multiplication tables or spelling lists.Worse, the culture of consumerism has spilled into the clrooms. I find that my university students are far less prepared for college level courses yet have far more expectations. When I was an undergrad, professors were expected to present material and students were expected to do thier work. Today, students seem to think its OK to ask a professor to accomodate the fact that they were too busy to study for an exam or come to cl.