I also immigrated here as a college student because here were more opportunities in my field of interest, not because education was better. Students from many countries--including the United States--flock in great numbers to Europe, not just here, in order to attend great institutions of learning there.

Tests are designed to determine knowledge, not creativity, and success or failure in one should not be used as an argument against the other. Standardized tests eliminate the possibility of someone being given a school diploma while he/she can barely read and write. They have been used successfully for generations in many European countries (and other parts of the world) and ensure that a high school graduate:

* can read and write competently and is familiar with the great works of literature in his/her language and has sufficient knowledge of the great literature in other languages;

* masters basic mathematics: algebra, geometry, trigonometry and basic calculus;

* knows his/her countryís and the world's history, geography and understands the fundamentals of physics, chemistry and biology;

* can read, write and speak a foreign language, usually English in non-English speaking countries;

* has knowledge of philosophy, religion and the basis of his people's cultural heritage;

* is sufficiently knowledgeable of his/hers country's constitution, and federal, state and local governments and institutions;

*is therefore college qualified, though some universities may raise the bar on entrance or limit admissions because of lack of space or facilities (e.g., in sciences involving laboratory work).

The circus revolving around the SAT and similar college entrance tests has arisen and continues in the United States because a high school diploma does not guarantee a certain minimum level of knowledge the way a European high school matriculation does. By the way, the latter usually requires passing a tough week of written and oral exams in the main subjects.

The job market is getting tougher and tougher, and our high school (and college) graduates now compete on the international level (outsourcing!). We are in competition with very populous countries where education is highly esteemed and parents often make enormous sacrifices to give their children the best education they can absorb.

Therefore we cannot continue to "baby" our youth in our educational systems without losing to those countries our jobs and, eventually, our livelihoods.

Lothar Bandermann is a Cupertino resident