Ohio Gov. Bob Taft signed his final bill into law last week, and it was an important one. The Ohio Core bill stiffens the requirements for graduating from high school, at least for students who plan to attend college. Students in the fifth grade now will be the first to comply with it.

Among other things, the new law requires four years of math, including algebra II; three years of lab-based science such as biology, chemistry, physical science, astronomy and geology; four years of English; three years of social studies; and five electives from foreign language, fine arts, business, technology or career technical courses.

The new law does not increase the number of units students need to graduate. Instead, it focuses on the core disciplines they need to prepare for work, college and life, according to the governor's office.

Until 2015, students may opt out of the Ohio Core after their second year of high school.

However, if they do, they will not be eligible to attend a state-funded four-year college or university immediately after high school. They would have to complete at least 10 credit hours at a two-year campus first.

A few months ago, Ohio's higher education officials noted that they have a problem. It's similar to one facing colleges and universities in West Virginia.

Two out of five Ohioans attending that state's public colleges and universities must take remedial reading and math before they can handle college-level work.

Having to provide remedial classes costs Ohio's public colleges and universities about $30 million a year.

According to the Ohio Board of Regents, students who took a core curriculum in high school similar to the one Taft signed into law have a remedial enrolment rate of 14 percent in college.

Those who took less than the core have a remedial rate of 50 percent.

Of course, some colleges have higher rates of students requiring remedial work than others.

In this area, 44 percent of students enrolled at Ohio University-Southern in Ironton required remedial work in the 2003-04 school year.

Other campuses of local interest and their remedial rates were 32 percent at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, 54 percent at Rio Grande Community College, seven percent at the Ohio University main campus and five percent at Ohio State University's main campus.

To be fair, some of those schools cater to non-traditional students, who need refresher courses in the basics. And some people don't know they will attend college until after they have graduated from high school, so they need to catch up.

But preparation in high school leads to success in college.

Only 28 percent of Ohio students who took remedial courses earn a degree of any level within six years, compared to 56 percent of the non-remedial students.

We do our children no favours by telling them a high school diploma prepares them for college-level work. Telling children they can go to college must be accompanied by telling them what it takes to succeed in college.

And if we are to spend our tax money more wisely at both the public education and higher education levels, we need to reach these children as early as we can.

If that means a tougher curriculum in high school, so be it.