(Pixabay)

At the end of each quarter, students swarm around teachers for their grades, comparing GPAs with their friends. Some students believe an open grade book policy provides transparency every day.  If you always know where you are, it eliminates having to constantly ask teachers where you stand.

Sure, at the end of the quarter, tensions are high. Yet another situation comes into play here. Once grades are released, discussions about scores erupt among the students, each one seeking validation over the other based on a mere number. An open grade book policy would only exacerbate these thinkings, allowing students to follow their grades’ every move like the New York Stock Exchange. This cycle of concern transforms a simple academic milestone into a source of pressure and competition, often overshadowing the true purpose of education.

Allowing students to check and view those numbers constantly would shift the focus from learning more beneficial long-term life skills to a meaningless number that we all will forget later. We must not forget the actual purpose of school, as it’s about learning and becoming a better person.

Nothing good comes from comparing with one another, as someone is bound to have a higher or lower grade. Students with the higher number will feel good about themselves, and the latter will be disappointed. Such comparisons can strain relationships and foster an atmosphere where self-worth is tied to academic performance.

Some may argue that frequent checking motivates students to do better in school. However, the correct source of motivation should come from trying to be a better student and person than before, as school makes up a tiny part of our lives. In the future, there will be no grades to serve as motivators, for what will remain are the knowledge and skills gained throughout one’s educational journey.

 Grades are a side product of learning more efficient ways of studying, an indicator of one’s knowledge and habits, and we should not treat them as the primary goal in school.