It's that time of year when graduates of all shapes and sizes march down the aisle, leaving the classroom behind and entering the real world.

Those starry-eyed graduates will eventually form a line of leadership that takes society to much greater heights.

However, I often find myself wanting to apologize somehow for being part of a legacy of diminished opportunities and limited freedoms.

As I hearken way, way back to the day when my generation took those first few steps into the real world, the world seemed more open with limitless opportunities.

But today's landscape is less promising. And the world is clearly much different.

All too often what we have to offer these new graduates is an unsettled world abroad and increasing social unrest at home.

But the central question that comes to mind at this time of year is just how well are we equipping today's graduates for the world they will soon inherit?

Society is composed of all those graduates, not just the elite few who walk down that aisle with great academic success and unlimited horizons.

The graduates who need our focus are those who languish on the fringes of achievement and who -- without adequate life skills -- may well eventually be a drag on the social network that is imposing a massive cost on society.

A new book raises substantial concerns over just how well we prepare this population to take their place in society.

"Ain't Nobody Be Learnin' Nothin'" is a new book by a former teacher in the Washington, D.C., public school system that takes an inside look into a problem that is the open secret of many urban schools.

The book details the process of social promotions in public schools where students -- often unruly and ill-equipped -- are promoted and then graduated despite lacking the most basic skills.

Students in many of these schools receive "gentlemen's Ds" when in reality their learning achievement is far below even minimal levels.

One example cited is a group of soon-to-be graduates in a higher math class where less than half were achieving at the second-grade level.

Yet these students all were given "gentlemen's Ds" in a failed attempt to award diplomas in the hope that the slip of paper might eventually lead to employment.

While teaching in another school, the author was ordered to raise the failing grades of 30 percent of his class. He resigned instead.

Now granted, the concept of social promotions is nothing new nor is it the ruination of society.

Yet, we do a great disservice when we pretend that some students are prepared to take that next step in society when it will all-too-soon be apparent that they are not.

It is always overstated that today's graduates will be tomorrow's leaders.

At the same time, too many students drift through school without an education.

It is that population that must be addressed or the safety net of society will be unable to handle their needs in the many years to come.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.