Has getting a bad grade in a class ever affected your mood? Have you ever read an article discussing how grades may impact a student's life? I believe the grading system is unjust because grades can negatively affect a student and create competition among peers, leading them to feel inferior to others who have better grades. Many students already face personal challenges, and the added pressure of grades can increase their stress, creating even more difficulties for them.
I feel that the school grading system forces students into competition with one another, fostering an environment that can be detrimental to mental health. For some students, poor grades can ruin their moods. According to Edutopia, “A majority of these students—68 percent—experienced a drop in grades in the first semester and reported feeling stressed as a result.” Bad grades can even lead to worse academic performance due to the stress generated from just one disappointing result.
Grades cannot accurately measure a person's intellect. Many billionaires dropped out of school, including Steve Jobs, who had an IQ of 160, and Mark Zuckerberg, who had an IQ of 152. Numerous other highly successful individuals have expressed their skepticism about the traditional education system. Many people with extremely high IQs dislike school because they often become bored quickly. As Stephen Hicks notes, “School bored the young Jobs painfully, and he reacted by engaging in acts of disobedience and defiance.”
Returning to my original point, the educational grading system is highly unjust and ineffective at assessing students. It teaches them to fear failure and reinforces the idea that failure is inherently bad. However, failure is a part of every process, including achieving success or pursuing any aspirations. Failing is not a negative experience; it can be an important step towards growth and improvement.