Does our Grading System Really Work?

By: Reem Awad

Band aids covered her hands and fingers. Band aids from biting her nails too much, cutting herself, picking her scabs, etc.

If you didn’t know, these are symptoms of stress and sometimes even anxiety. The increase in anxiety and stress in teens and preteens, just in the past 30 years, is mind blowing. But if these adolescences are asked why, it’s most likely because of feeling overwhelmed because of school.

It is believed that there is a correlation between stress levels and the grading system, they have both developed over the years. The level of teen’s stress and anxiety has doubled in the past 30 years. The proportion of 15 to 16 year olds that are effected by stress went from 1 in 30 to 2 in 30 for boys and 1 in 10 to 2 in 10 for girls. This eventually leads to kids anonymously becoming just like the girl mentioned previously.

According to research, most studies and experts say that the grading system we have today isn’t very efficient. Nowadays people study and work to get good grades, but after they get tested and receive the grade, everything is useless to them. Knowledge shouldn’t be forced into students minds, they should want to learn and grades just ruin the purpose of that. Grades change the focus from wanting to learn to wanting to pass.

Claire, a student in Olson, once stated in an article, “I remember the first time that a grading rubric was attached to a piece of my writing. Suddenly all the joy was taken away.  I was writing for a grade — I was no longer exploring for me.  I want to get that back.  Will I ever get that back?” It’s crazy how she thought of this incident so differently than how anyone else would have thought of it.

Although, this problem isn’t hard to solve. Instead of grading for mistakes, teachers should start to grade for effort. This teaches students without being in fear of getting every question wrong and being frustrated with themselves. Also, teachers should start allowing the students to grade more of their own work because it not only teaches them their mistakes, but it also decreases the amount of work for the teacher. At the end, everyone wins! We could change for the better one step at a time.