Do grades build you up, or do they break you down?
After Sweden got a new government in 2006, a new reform has caught media’s eye – the educational reform. The Centre-Right Alliance wants to bring grades into Primary school, since it is considered late to be given the first grades in 8th grade, as it is in Sweden today. Many debates are going on about how it is important to catch the problem in an early stage. However, is it really necessary to shorten our children’s childhood more than already is done?
Today’s society is forcing our children to grow up much earlier than before, even school is now becoming a more grown-up environment. By presenting grades in Primary school, our children are being forced to become something they are not – grownups. If we look to ourselves, we see how grades and massive workload affects us in a negative way – we constantly have to work hard to achieve a pass and therefore, we neglect our personal life. Do we really want our children to experience this pressure at such early age?
Another thing about giving grades to ten-year-olds is how they not always understand what these grades stand for. While one child might understand that a grade shows his/her performances, another child in the same class might understand these grades, as grades on his/her individual – Am I a bad person or is my English bad? This might let our society come to a stage where we stamp our children as failures.
However, many people argue that by giving grades this early helps us catch the problem in an early stage. This might be right, but even if we catch the problem early, is it really certain that we can fix the problem? Does not learning come with maturing? Another thing people argue for is how a grade stimulates the children to pine for a higher grade. This is something that is not proved – yes, it is shown that a motivated child might achieve a higher grade, but the fact that a grade is motivating is not proved.
To introduce grades in Primary school is a discussed subject – some people think it might be efficient since the problem is caught in an early stage. Also, how a grade might work as a motivation for getting a higher grade is seen as a plus. But, can we help counteract the problem even if it is discovered early? And does a grade motivate all children? Others think we should let our children be children. By giving grades at such early age, we are forcing our children into become more grown-up then they really are. Do we want our children to have the same pressure on them as we as grown-ups have? – probably not. Another thing that might be an affect by this early grading is how children might misunderstand them and think the grades are grades on their individual, not their performance. So let the children be children as long as possible, and let us grown-ups be grown-ups.
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Marja`s comment:
SvaraRaderaYour argumentation about grading starts with a clarification about the historical background to the on going debate about grades. This gives the reader a quick and informative glance at what the new educational reform is about – give younger students grading earlier.
You present your claim in second paragraph: Grading forces children to grow up too fast and do not allow them to be children as they should be allowed to. I think your examples of that are very good and easy recognizable for every one working with children.
Strongest argument for the claim, I think, is the example about adult’s workload and how it affects us – we sure do not like to have a similar pressure on our own children!
It is also convincing to let the reader put in mind how the grading could feel for a ten-year-old and the affects for their self-esteem.
Your counterarguments are well explained: A lot of people want to have grades because the problems are noticed earlier and grading stimulates children to struggle more for getting better grades. The refutation is also clear: earlier grading does not necessarily guarantee earlier help for problems and the fact that grades motivate children to want better grades is not proved yet. Very good argumentation here!
It is difficult to suggest any improvements, but maybe you could clarify a bit more when you talk about “people”, “grown-ups” and “society”. I was a bit curious if you meant school staff, parents or politicians.
I think you have clear, coherent paragraphs and good informative topics for them. The language and style is argumentative, informative and clear and gives the reader several angles about this up to date debate. You have created an engaging text with well formulated and effective expressions.