Answer to classroom debate: There are bigger problems at school

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Criticism of school grades is based on false assumptions. Grades are not objective indicators of professional ability, like a calibrated IQ score. Assessments are benchmarks that continually record learning progress in each lesson. They depend on the level of cooperation, willingness to put in effort, and talent. Willingness to exert effort can change greatly during adolescence.

Certification scores are averages. They reflect what has been achieved in class over the course of a semester or year. If training companies want to know a young person’s objective ability for a particular profession, they must test it themselves. Assessments are simple, quick feedback to students on how well they learned and understood something in previous lessons, nothing more and nothing less.

The assessment debate ignores the real problems facing schools: a serious teacher shortage is jeopardizing the quality of teaching, a quarter of primary school graduates are unable to understand simple text, out-of-control integration is straining regular classes and curriculum overload is leading to arbitrariness.

Proposals for reform should be practical and implementable and should not add to the day-to-day problems of teaching. It’s time to put aside unimportant issues and invest your energy in constructive and sustainable solutions.

Source: Blick