It was only a few days ago that I learned something new about the grading system. Actually, F didn’t used to be a grade at all. It was only A,B,C,D, and E, all of the representing various levels of success and failure. A was a distinction while E was failure. But as it turns out, many parents didn’t know this. For some reason, they assumed that E meant Excellent. So, when their kids brought home E on their report cards, they believed that their kids were actually doing well. And kids being kids would not correct that assumption.
And so, it happened over and over until eventually, by the time they figured out their errors, it was too late, and the classes were most likely failed. Over the years, this happened so often that eventually, the school system was forced to scrap the Grade E and replace it with F, which was easier for people to associate with failure.
So, is this good? With grades, there is no case of one person being better by one mark. Because with grades, it won’t matter if you got 100/100 in the exam or you got 90/100, both people will get an A. And then, striving to get an A is way easier than striving to get 100/100. As in, the difference is very clear.
But then, even with all this, there are still levels, because now that you don’t have to work towards specific numbers, it becomes somewhat easier. And as I said before, many people can get the same grade, and be viewed the same, it won’t matter if the marks they got were the exact same thing or if one was less by 10. The main thing here is that they get the same grades, and these grades hold the same value.
So now, would it be okay to switch to a simple system of pass/fail? Well, the more I think of this, the more I realize that it will be a very linear system. Just 1 and 0, it’s either one thing or it’s not. And as a result, the grading system will be as basic as: if the score is above 50, then they’ve passed. But if the score is below 50, then it’s failed. And just like that, people who scored 51 will be on the same level with those who scored 100 or, at the very least, 90. In the same way, people who had 49 will be treated the same as those who only scored 14.
So yeah, I love our grading system as it is. Let’s keep using them like that. Yeah, it’s layered and might get a bit technical for people who are just getting into it. But still, it would always be a better option than having only either pass or fail as the result a person can get. Well, my two cents!
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