This blog might not be all that relevant to any non-norwegian readers, but you might find it interesting nevertheless. Considering that you guys do have a pretty similar grading system you might actually find this very relevant after all.
Anyways, as the title says this blog entry is about schools, and which problems there are with today’s system.
The problems
I trust you’re all familiar with the current grading system? Everything you do during the year is boiled down to one number. In Norway it’s a grade from 1 to 6, 1 meaning that you’ve failed the class, 6 meaning you’ve passed it in an outstanding manner, and that you’re a genius because pretty much no human is capable of this feat. There are some very obvious problems to this, and some not so very obvious solutions.
The most glaring problem is that one number can’t possibly encompass your sufficiency within a subject. You might be really good at talking about a few things, and if you’re lucky you get a good grade because of those things, while you’re actually terrible at everything else. In that scenario the fact that you got a good grade on something that you’re bad at might ruin someone else’s chances who weren’t so lucky. Also you might be unlucky and be tested only at the things that you aren’t good at, and thus get a grade that certainly doesn’t encompass your capability. The result is that even if the educational system grants you a vast supply of knowledge you might not benefit from it, because your chances of further education come down largely to luck. When our lives are being wagered in games of russian roulette, the Red Youth protest.
Another major problem is final exams. If you have to take one of these suckers your entire life suddenly hinges on how well you perform on one given day. This is an archaic method, and entirely unreasonable. One test can’t express your knowledge much better than a number can.
We’re not sure what the best solutions are, but want to try out one particular solution over a period of time.
Next problem: Your grades are pretty much the only factor that decide whether you get into a school or not. This problem is specific to Norway I think, as most sensible schools elsewhere have decided to go for personal interviews. This makes it so that someone who lives right next to a popular school will have to move far away to go to school if someone with better grades from elsewhere wants his spot. If the course isn’t offered elsewhere then he simply won’t be able to do what he wants with his life if worst comes to worst.
And lastly the problem that is the easiest to fix, homework. The problem is simple, homework doesn’t help at all. Studies have shown that homework does nothing at all to aid students, and the only reason to have it is so that one can actually get through all the work that needs to be done. It helps to make the difference between rich and poor kids greater, because the only ones who benefit even slightly from it is those with well educated parents who have the time to practically do the kid’s homework for him, thus earning him better grades, but not knowledge.
The solutions
It’s tempting to write “we don’t know” here, and wrap up the blog, but that wouldn’t do much to further my cause, now would it? There are some solutions which we want to try out, but there aren’t really any studies on the matter, because no one bothered trying. The grading problem is the trickiest one. What we postulate is that a solution might be to include all tests, projects, and evaluations, in a folder which the teacher composes for each student. This will better express the student’s capabilities. The weakness is that it is harder to put in a system, but at the same time this makes it so that individuals remain individuals instead of being turned into simple information.
Exams, being inhuman, need to be revised at the least, but we should aim for revolutionizing them. It’s an outdated method for putting people in boxes, and is unnecessary in our modern day society. Finals should be voluntary, that way those who feel that an exam will benefit them can take it, and it is added to their folder. Anyone reviewing their folder will see that they took the exam, and can infer that the person is comfortable with working under stressed conditions, while one that didn’t take it makes it obvious that he is confident that what he has accomplished is sufficient. It also encourages people to make decisions, take charge of their lives.
This also counts towards the folder idea. When you have a folder, and not a sheet filled with numbers, you stand free to concentrate on the subjects that interest you, and that are relative to your plans. When you apply for higher education a folder will show whether or not you are suited for the line that you’re applying for. There’s a good analogy here; Applying for an education in carpentry with a gradesheet that says you’re brilliant at writing essays, is like applying for a job as a journalist with a piece of wood.
As for the homework part, it’s very simple. It’s useless, so take it away. The only reason to have it is that the teachers can’t get through the books with the time that they’re given, so give them more time. This means making schooldays longer. Polls have been held, and students are willing to spend longer in school if it means no homework. This should be pretty obvious, because in essence you are still in school when you’re doing homework.
Song of the Blog: About to Crash
Sincerely
Bjørn
