Bribery is a way of life in most countries of the world.

That’s a fact.

It’s not supposed to be that way in America because of the rule of law, our Constitution and law enforcement.

Yet it does.

And it should be no surprise when it involves public institutions of higher education.

Federal prosecutors charged more than 50 people with cheating and bribery to get their children admitted to some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The list includes Georgetown, Yale, Stanford, University of Texas, University of Southern California and UCLA.

Parents have paid more than $100,000 to rig SAT or ACT exams. Some given direct bribes to college administrators to get admission for their children who lack the grades to make it on their own.

This seems to account for the fact that so many students wind up in a university but they are not ready for college academically. And it shows that many – maybe thousands – of academically qualified students aren’t in college because their parents don’t have enough money to bribe college officials.

This also could be the reason for the proliferation of college courses that are pointless and are simply a vehicle to pad grade averages and keep kids in school. As high as 40 percent of college freshmen have to take remedial courses.

It’s no secret that some colleges for decades have been admitting and keeping athletes who don’t meet the academic levels of ordinary students.

While professors and deans preach “diversity,” they are admitted students based on greed.

The upcoming generation deserves better from their predecessors.