The Fallacy of Good Grades

By: Dr. Rutuja D.

​Being reprimanded by parents over poor grades rather than reckoning the amount of efforts, diligence and hard work, fleeing over the last page of the test paper hurriedly to check the marks rather than analyzing and assessing the errors committed, feeling chagrined when parents discussed poor grades in a vexing manner.

All situations sound familiar, don't they? Obviously- since many of us would have gone through the same, we all have confronted the same. Times might have changed, but circumstances remain the same. The worthless gravity imparted to the grades remains perennial. The trivial emphasis of grades is exasperating at its best and at the same time and crippling at its worst. The corroboration for this lies in the fact that most of the universities round the globe predominantly pin their hopes on possession of a bunch of medals of achievements in every existing field and skyrocketing ranks to ascertain the aggregate of knowledge a particular student has acquired while gaining elementary education.

Whenever a student receives low grades, no one would criticize the grading system, no one would hold in high regard the endeavors he/she has put in. One would only hold social media, hobbies, cellphones, miscellaneous scapegoats and most importantly, the student itself responsible for the same.

Nowadays, so much relies upon the grades, that parents end up agonizing about the same, thereby augmenting not only the mental coercion but also raising the stakes for the students. In a broad perspective, it is quite apparent when a student has to deal with such circumstances, it becomes quite obvious that he/she would suffer from mental health disorders,slip into heinous acts and addictions, engage into conflicts, lose friends under the name of competition, disputes in relationships etc. merely because of treating grades as a barometer of intellect and intelligence.

​Hence, educational reforms are the need of the hour. Restructuring various courses, refining subject choices as per their will, creating an atmosphere for conducting engaging and interesting lectures, and searching out some brainstorming sessions and ideas to make sure that each and every student feels involved .