Basics add up

IF you've ever felt as though your children were somehow educationally deprived for not knowing the latest jargon or operating methods about dealing with computers - take heart. As valuable as computer literacy and technical training undoubtedly are in our space-age society, the educational basics - reading, writing, mathematics, and reasoning - are still the most important factors for high school graduates seeking jobs.

Who says so? No less an authority than a committee of the National Academy of Sciences. The committee recognized that a familiarity with computers is useful. But for most young people, what is particularly crucial is ''the ability to learn and to adapt to changes in the work place.'' Something to remember at this time of the year when report cards come out.