Not all high schools are created equal.

University President Joab Thomas should take note of that, especially in light of his support for the NCAA's recent Proposition 16 which toughened the academic standards for student athletes.

The proposition determines freshman eligibility for athletes according to a sliding scale index taking into account the student's grade point average and SAT or ACT scores.

But the SAT and ACT have been proven racially and culturally biased. As a result, using those exams to help determine freshman eligibility might discriminate against minority athletes.

Thomas said Proposition 16 only discriminates against students who do not adequately prepare for college-level work. However, some students are educated in poor, urban school systems which lack the educational tools of wealthier school systems.

These students should not be penalized for inadequate preparation.

If Proposition 16 had been in effect for the past six years, about 70 percent of black athletes and only 18 percent of white athletes would have been ineligible to play, said William DeLauder, president of Delaware State College.

Fortunately, the proposition does not permanently eliminate a student's chance to play sports if the student doesn't meet the standards. Instead, it gives athletes a year of ineligibility to improve their schoolwork.

Universities should not serve as farm systems for professional sports. And athletes must be given high academic standards in order to ensure their scholastic commitment.

The NCAA has taken a step to show that class work is more important than the ability to dribble a basketball or score a touchdown. But using standardized test scores is not a fair way to determine a student's eligibility.