We live in a society where, from a very young age, majority of us are taught to equate learning with grades. For many decades, educational institutions have been using grades to evaluate the academic performance of students. Whether it is an elementary school or a university, the grades of students decide the opportunity and the recognition they receive. As we grow up, we start to believe that marksheets represent who we are and our ability to perform. However, the use of grades as a real measure of the learning of students is still a debatable issue.
Many would agree that our academic performance is what truly shows our ability. It is a real fact that exams are taken to measure students’ knowledge of specific topics and overall understanding. It is also true that it helps us apply knowledge in practical situations and critical thinking. However, students learn at different rates and in diverse ways. Some students may understand concepts slowly but show great problem-solving skills overtime. Moreover, some prefer memorizing. Memorizing can get students excellent grades although this may result in failing to apply knowledge in practical situations and critical thinking. Mainly, students who are under pressure to get high scores are seen most likely to memorize than actually understood the concept.
Therefore, grades cannot always portray a student’s true understanding. For instance, in a widely famous movie ‘Dead Poet’s Society’ students attend a strict school focusing on great academic success and high scores. However, when a new teacher arrives, he encourages them to be free thinkers, to question ideas and take a deeper interest in poetry. Similarly, in ‘3 Idiots’ movie, a character named ‘Chatur’ is given an opportunity to speak on a stage. He prefers to memorise the speech rather than understanding the main concept. This results in him messing up the whole speech. There are several more movies which relates to real society as it portrays how sometimes even schools and society judge students according to grades. Although, it is true that grades represent students’ knowledge of specific topics, it does not reflect one’s true potential.
In conclusion, grades can show how well a student performs in exams and assignment but they do not always give a complete picture of true learning. learning is more than memorizing facts or scoring high scores. It is to understand concepts, think critically to develop practical skills. Evey student is different and has different strength and talents that cannot always be measured by numbers.