The podcast episodes provided discuss the topic of academic standards, specifically addressing concerns over declining standards and the impact of progressive education philosophies on the quality of education.
For example, the episode from Irish Breakdown addresses a listener's question about the idea of lowering standards to recruit better players for the Notre Dame football team, highlighting the tension between academic standards and athletic performance. Similarly, the episode from The Glenn Beck Program argues that progressive education ideologies have contributed to a decline in academic rigor and public trust in the education system.
The episodes from The Intelligence from The Economist and Modern Wisdom also examine the issue of declining academic standards in U.S. high schools and the importance of maintaining rigorous academic standards, particularly in fields like medicine and engineering.