Adults Retain Only Literacy and Numeracy

Large, representative assessments show most American adults remember little beyond basic reading, writing and arithmetic; surveys on history, civics, science and foreign language reveal widespread long‑term forgetting. The pattern is consistent with knowledge 'fadeout' and with schooling functioning more as a signal (grades/credentials) than as durable skill formation for many students. — If most adult learning outside basic literacy/numeracy evaporates, education policy, employer credentialing, and civic preparedness all warrant reassessment toward durable skills, ongoing use, or different credential signals.