It has been observed that the abilities of mathematics of students entering universities in Sri Lanka are on the decline in recent years. Also there is a school of thought which cultivates the belief that it is sufficient to teach mathematics only as a tool to the extent that it could be used only for certain computations arising in their work. It appears that the teaching of mathematics to engineering students follow this policy in many countries around the world. This paper critically analyses this trend and its repercussions are also discussed in relation to the experience gained at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri lanka.