Grade inflation, public and private schools, Professor Harvey
According to Professor Harvey (2001), the problem of grade inflation has been in existence since early 60's and 70's. Both public and private schools have been affected by this problem (Enrico par.1). Grades A and B are given without considering the merit and this has led to poor standards in the degrees that students achieve at the end of their education.
There is no one who has produced data to support the above accusations. No one has ever proven the claims that today's students get A's in subjects that he/she used to get B'S and C's (Alfie par.8). If the issue is looked from a practical point of view, it is true that it exists. However, its effects, whether positive or negative, have not been quantified. Educationists have, however, given various stands to support this claim
[...] Grades in science papers are raised to encourage lab work. In order for the lectures to reach the required grade standards, they opt to inflate the grades without necessarily reflecting on the performance of the students. Schools are in competition to attract more and more students to their curriculum. In order to do this, they inflate their grades to depict a good quality in their programs. On the other hand, parents expect their students to score good grades bearing in mind the increasing cost of tuition fees. [...]
[...] Grade inflation. Washington, D.C: CQ Press. Suen, W., Chan, W., & Hao, L. (2003). Grade inflation. Hong Kong: School of Economics & Finance, University of Hong Kong. Hunt, L. H. (2008). Grade inflation: Academic standards in higher education. Albany: State University of New York Press. Johnson, V. E. (2003). Grade inflation: A crisis in college education. New York: Springer. [...]
[...] Grade inflation has attracted unhealthy competition in the way colleges admit students. Many colleges are forced to increase the intake quotas to meet the standards that competing colleges have set (Enrico par.3). Weak students have been able to secure spaces in colleges at the expense of more deserving students due to this. As noted earlier, such cases lead to strains during the program, because of the inability of the students to meet the standards required. Causes of grade inflation Some college officials think that students are motivated by the grade that they get in their exams (Alfie par.28). [...]
[...] Employers have not welcomed the issue of grade inflation. When majority of the graduates get A's in their particular field of study, employers are prompted to subject them to private interviews and testing to establish the authenticity of these grades (Enrico par.4). It becomes difficult to arrange the students in a continuum and determine their credibility and suitability to the various fields (Alfie par.20). Such tests prove that potential employers have no confidence in the grades that students score. It further explains how the education system is not fully preparing students to excel in the job market. [...]
[...] Such cases have led to distrust in the way students fair in their final examinations. Good grades do not lead to good jobs. All the above accusations leave other people with many questions. What is the result of the good grades? Good performance or grade inflation? Surname 7 Bibliography Alicia C. A's for everyone. June Web. April Enrico Uva. The causes and consequences of grade inflation. June Web. April Alfie Kohn. The dangerous myth of grade inflation. November Web. April Jost, K. (2002). [...]
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