Topic > Grade Inflation

The occurrence of grade inflation is affecting the quality of education throughout the system. Many students, at every level of education, are promoted to higher grades even if they are not qualified for that grade. Grade inflation is quite similar to the concept of economic inflation where the price of commodities increases leading to a decrease in the value of money or real purchasing power. It has a similar impact on educational attainment. Several studies have been done in this regard to confirm that grade inflation is a reality and it is sad to see that this problem is continuously increasing compared to previous years. Studies confirm that by comparing the grades students currently earn with the grades they earned in the past, educational institutions deliberately assign higher grades to some of their students. A partial reason for awarding higher grades is the market factor where their students become competitive as they apply for jobs or move on to the next level of education (Bok 211). Students receiving higher grades make it difficult to distinguish the average student, from the above average student, from the exceptional student. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There is also a growing general perception that by paying more tuition fees, students should be awarded higher grades. This phenomenon is similar to paying a higher price for a good or service in order to get the most benefit from it. Grade inflation had a significant impact on those colleges and universities that set high educational standards (Cohen 401). This shows that students today are less educated than in the past. Furthermore, even the lowest grades are not competitive in the market, so students with undeserving higher grades meet rigorous criteria while those who get real grades are often left behind. Grade inflation in today's education has made it difficult to discriminate students' abilities. Bain stated that “the awarding of unduly higher grades has resulted in the loss of morality among teachers” (76). In order to get the best results from their performance, instructors give better grades than deserved, which means that teachers' main focus is on their performance and not on teaching (Bok 76). It is necessary to remember that one of the most important responsibilities of teachers is to evaluate the work of their students. Teachers must have a perfect understanding of the grading system to be able to make justified grades as failure to do so can lead to students being placed in unjustified grades. However, teachers, at the same time, should have the freedom to assign grades as they deem appropriate. Therefore, there should be a delicate balance to maintain between understanding the grading system and having the autonomy to assign grades as feasible. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The vice of Grade inflation is believed to have gained popularity in the decade of the 1960s. However, the significant increase in grade inflation occurred in the 1980s, when most private educational institutions adopted the aggressive policy of awarding higher achievement grades than public institutions. The problem of grade inflation, therefore, continually worsens, creating misconceptions about the education system as a whole. Research conducted in this regard revealed that “public schools and.