Should Schools Get Rid of Grades?

We asked, you responded.

A comprehensive—and controversial—report on education in Australia has savaged the concept of A – E grades. Now, the continuation of the NAPLAN is in question. So, should Australian schools ditch grades? Or, is it the best system of measurement available? We asked our members. Here’s one great response.

As a recent high-school graduate of 2017, I can confirm that students suffer from the grading system.

I valued myself by my grades, and so did my parents and my school, which aimed to achieve excellent academic results. I was in an environment where, if you performed poorly, it was frowned upon, and if you performed well, it was celebrated. For example, in Year 10, I was presented to the entire school along with other students for being a 'Model Student', having an average A grade across all subjects.

Entering into the HSC, I had high hopes. My straight-A history gave me a lot of confidence. Unfortunately, I found my marks dropped dramatically and I was soon failing nearly everything. Seeing the dreaded percentage or grade scrawled in red on my paper became my worst nightmare. I couldn't understand what was happening; I was trying harder than ever, but my marks just kept falling. I lost faith in myself.

Despite this, I believe grades should be kept in schools. Why? The grading system allows students to know where they stand and the quality of work they are producing. It is a very effective tool, particularly if detailed feedback is also provided.

However, schools, parents and the students themselves do not focus on this benefit of the grading system; instead, we all focus on the grade itself, thinking A is excellent, B is good, C is average, Ds are bad, and Es are unacceptable.

During parent-teacher interviews, my teachers would often say I was a *insert letter here* grade student. The grade was me. Some teachers even pointed that out, saying I'd be 'lucky' to get a B grade, not that if I looked at my results and their feedback and identify where I could improve and studied hard, I'd be able to see better results.

The motivation behind the grading system needs to publicly change in order to benefit students.

Yes, we know that our grade is 'feedback' on how we are performing in class. However, we need to be able to understand that we all have the ability to improve, and that a grade doesn’t define our capabilities.

In conclusion, the grading system should stay. However it should be advertised as an opportunity to learn and improve.

Congratulations to Caitlin for winning this week's writing challenge: Should Schools Get Rid of Grades? Caitlin wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Competitions section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge.

Photo: Fox