Effects of Grade Inflation

Effects of Grade Inflation

Grade inflation has and continues to effect the nation. Year after year we see many students graduating with high grades but few with average grades. Our group of high achieving students has suddenly disappeared. In this day and age the key to success is a proper education. At least that is what we have been taught since we started first grade. Why is there a dramatic change in our country’s average GPA? Making students believe that they have earned an A when in fact they deserved a +C doesn’t help them. It only makes it worst. Students are loosing educational value due to grade inflation, and we can no longer differentiate the “great” from the “average”.

High school students are the ones that are being hurt the most. Most of the college students I know (including myself) had to take at least one remedial course so they can be prepared for regular accredited classes. And some of these students had above average GPAs. This is proof that most high school students aren’t ready for college. Teachers are ignoring the fact that they are actually hurting instead of rewarding. Some students don’t even make it to college which means their stuck with a horrible education for the rest of their lives.

A regular class has some A, a lot of B and C, and few D and F. When we see a class that the highest grade is a -C it means the professor is being strict on the students and it is practically impossible to get an A in that course. Same thing happens if you see a class with too many A and barely no C. The professor is not being hard on the students. This does not help the student in any way. Students need teachers that are strict with them so that they won’t except anything less in the real world. I would rather learn to be yelled at by a teacher than from my boss.

It is believed that grade inflation started back in the Vietnam war. If a student got an F the student was automatically withdrawn and enlisted to fight at Vietnam war. Professors were keeping students from getting failing grades so that they can stay home. Maybe it was a good reason to keep the students from failing? Maybe not? The actions of these teachers has been followed by other teaches till today. The only difference is that the reasons have changed. Today’s grade inflation maybe due to college tuition. I was checking out Lehigh University’s website the other day and I came across the tuitions page. I was astonished. Lehigh tuition cost are estimated to be over $40,000 per year. If I were a parent that was paying that kind of money for my child’s education I would except to see nothing less than a -B on the report card. Teachers also know that they have to keep the administration running. If they give F to students it could lead them to withdraw. That’s why I think grade inflation is more likely to happen in a private school due to the high tuition cost. How ironic is that? One would expect to have it easier at a public or community college.

Now a days we see many students graduating with honors. Honors should be treated like