The Problem With Defining Kids by Their Grades

I just finished watching a movie where in a scene, the little girl comes home with her report card and walked to her mum looking sad but willing to show her mother her grades. I'm sure you'd have imagined she failed, it's why she was sad but the reverse was the case. The little girl got straight A's with a C on math.

That look on your face and on her mother's face was the exact one I had on my face when the report card was read because I just realized how deep these grade system has eaten into children long before now. It's sad to realize and as a matter of fact, there are parents who are obsessed with these grades for their children to be sure they are doing well in school.

First of all, these grades were given by a teacher who could have given those grades for whatever reason because as hard as we would want to admit it, the school grading system is way more saturated than it was years ago. We have corruption even in the grading system of any sector especially education.

Then come to the use of letters to do the grading to show level of performance according to one's thinking. As much as that could help a kid who's trying to do well in her studies see good progress, it is also bringing down the confidence of kids as they struggle to meet expectations.

These grades are just grades because we've seen where kids who do bad in grades are good in sports or some other things that should even be graded too like maths for them. Focusing on these grades, using letters, is just an adopted way to cause hierarchy where shouldn't be and hurt a growing child's confidence.

I remember someone suggesting there shouldn't even be final exams in schools, there should be no need for Distinction in high school, First or third class in universities. It sounded crazy but I understand to an extent where that was coming from, the whole thing is not as it was intended at the adoption stage.

In my opinion, those doesn't need to be scrapped out but the one of explicitly showing how well or badly a student did is okay to be scrapped. It just causes the need for comparison and threatens growth for a lot of children. But honestly, I don't see how grading can be done in the best way to eliminate comparison among who are graded.

It still goes down to what is said after the grading towards the child who gets the grade. I believe it is the parents or who are higher above the children that make them feel bad about their bad scores and not be encouraged instead to do better by trying a little harder or figure out what they are best at.

I was joking with my mum yesterday that with the way things are going, attending school may soon go on extinct because a lot more can be achieved outside the school walls and grade systems. But then, it's all about what works best for each person and parents need to understand what's best for their kids, not just what they think it's best for every kid out there.