Farce Called Grading

In the essay The Farce Called “Grading”, Arthur E. Lean objects the idea of grading students. He believes that they use grades as a system to reward and punish students. The author states grading has the tendency to humiliate and make the less intelligent students pay for his or her incapability to learn even if it wasn’t his or her fault. Lean says that the grading system is unfair and that the graders are inconsistent when it comes to grading papers. He argues that grades are unfair and extremely subjective. Lean also claims that the reason why people hold on to grades is because grades are familiar and act as an incentive that pushes students to work harder, while they actually just make students pessimistic.

Grading tends to demotivate

(Arthur , p. 2) I agree with Leans point that grading could be unfair and that teachers might be bias. Each individual who has been to school can state several incidents of unfairness and injustice as a result of grading system, however grading is still considered a necessary and essential part of formal education. However I disagree with the statement that “doubtless the most tyrannical and indefensible is our insistence on attempting to evaluate student’s performance through a system of grades or marks.” (Arthur , p. 1)Lean believes grades tend to classify students and marginalize the ones who earn lower grades. While I do agree that grades could differ according to the teachers but that is not necessarily considered as a punishment. This could encourage students to work harder and achieve a grade they deserve. I think grades would create some kind of discipline and allow them to enjoy in whatever assignment they’re given. The grades give a reflection of the students’ performance over the year and how much he/she has progressed over time. I believe that without a system of scholastic comparison quite a few would strive to achieve academic success. Somewhere along the essay, the author agrees that even though most teachers make an attempt to be unbiased with their grading, if they are truthful with themselves, they know that they are trying to do the