ISSUE100 分数与教育的问题（附提纲）

TMACJAMESUID: 2836445

TOPIC: ISSUE100 - "The pressure to achieve high grades in school seriously limits the quality of learning. An educational environment without grades would promote more genuine intellectual development."
WORDS: 791
TIME: 00:45:00
DATE: 8/17/2010 12:22:43 PM

1、学校要培养人的intellectual as well as emotional 能力，所以需要机制来衡量以及保证。但分不同的阶段，有不同的方法
2、没有grades的学校可以，但主要是graduate school。而且没压力，没动力
3、提升教育质量的方面很多，分数只是其中一个


I cannot concur with the statement which calls for cancelling the grade system, asserting that it is the grade that suppresses students' intellectual growth. It is true that there was a time when no grade, score ever existed, but it is before education is generalized to public and common people. Modern education system is founded after the process of modernization, with Enlightenment thought that inspired the spirit of freedom and equality. If it is in a royal family in 13th century, I assure you that there was no grade on those princes and princesses.

The mission of school is to cultivate student's potential in intellectual and emotional aspects, filling knowledge as a foundation for their future. So the grade system is only means to an end. Admittedly, there should be distinctions between schools in different stage. In elementary schools, the grade system should not play an major role, for its objects are only children who have less social experience and understandings of themselves. If the grade system adds unnecessary pressure on them, it is possible to twist their mind, leading to the competition-focused mind which could end up in sociopath. Yet in the middle school, when it is the time for students to fully substantiate a comprehensive knowledge system, knowing the common sense, consensus, social rules, fundamental scientific knowledge and so forth, the grade system is required. We all know about the teenage rebellion, which could be a obstacle in middle school education. During that period, those middle school students have little control of themselves, susceptible to outside influence and seduction, so if there is no curb within the school, it is unlikely for teachers to keep them focused. Plus, if the middle school abandons the grade system, how can the colleges and universities choose student depending on their study performances? In the US today the college admissions combine with various standards, but still there is a grade like GPA and SAT score.

However, once students are enrolled in college, the grade system might be less relevant with their studies, especially for those graduate schools' students. The aim of colleges is to allow students specializing in certain fields, some skill-oriented and some mainly on academic ability. For those students, they should understand what their future could be, and have some blur or obscure but general plans for themselves. Thus it is where their attention is when in college. So the grade system could only provide a reference for their future employers about their learning process, but it is not a determining factor or insurance to compelling them to study in college. For those who are striving for a MA or PHD degree, the grade system is less meaningful for the criterion of their performance is not grade, but academic achievements. Nonetheless, in college, the grade system can still be a fail-safe to those who luckily are matriculated but cannot focus on study after enrollment. Like some famous example happened in Peking University at China, some brilliant students who achieved high score in the general college admission test but are flunked in many courses, then the university discarded them.

For now, almost every degree seeking and some certification granted schools and programs are undertaking certain grade system to ensure their educational quality. But as the statement insinuates, it could promote more intellectual development without grades. There is possibility, whereas seldom is in practice due to the laziness of people. To those geniuses and talented, without a grade system it might be beneficial to them. Take Qian Zhongshu, an excellent Chinese scholar for example, when he was enrolled by Tsinghua University in 1920s, his mathematics only received 15, but his English and Chinese literature are remarkable, so the university matriculated him as an exception. And at that time, the grade was not the sole standard for enrollment. As a result, Qian had the opportunity to develop his potentiality in the field of literature. But those cases are extremely rare in modern era.

There are many ways to improve educational level other than cancelling grades. The quality of teachers is another approach, as well as the teaching environment and how the school is organized. All of those can contribute to the enhancement of education and promote intellectual development, not only the grades. The education is a comprehensive and sophisticated matter that entails the cooperation from every aspect. Changing only one of those aspects could not make much difference.

Simply put, the statement mentions a vital section in education, which is better staying than being cast away. The quality of education is decided by the general picture rather than a specific fraction. So improvement is needed, but prudence is also required. Without meticulous consideration, any rush move, like abolishing grades, could lead to the opposite result.

写完了才发现似乎没有怎么考虑"limit"的方面，不知诸位有什么看法？