They have been complaining not for a decade but for over a century. Early complaints came from Harvard University around 1869. See the complaints of Adam Sherman Hill. 

Keep in mind that math and literacy requirements have increased in the decades since that and that the population is more literate than it has ever been. Over the decades of the 20th century, as the economy has shifted, educational institutions have sought to integrate and provide opportunities for a diverse demographic. Open doors are not necessarily a bad thing and gave been the norm in many state universities since 1970. 

I for one grew up in a house with a parent who never finished high school. My own children grew up in a house with parents with advanced degrees. Guess who had an easier time adapting to college expectations.