InfiniteAbundance Network

Are letter-grades in schools important?

As parents of three thriving children in junior and senior high, we believe it is highly essential that schools should implement letter-grades report card. In fact , such a system should be implemented as early as grade one.

This is a very controversial issue among parents and educators .

If a student at an early stage can be gauged for his/her strong/weak learning abilities, then measures can be taken early to enhance or mitigate the situation. The circumstances for each child is different. The home environment for various reasons may not be conducive to his/her learning at home.

The opposing view is that the simplistic grading create an illusion of winners and losers in what should be a program of creating winners among all children. They add that competition is detrimental to the morale of the students. If that is the perception, then parents and teachers should take the responsibilty and explain to the students the real purpose of letter-grades and their basic importance.

Frankly, which is better? To have a system of evaluation so that we know how well each student understands what is being taught rather than one that gives you at best, guess-work?
Yes, teachers can write reports! Can you gauge how much your child knows the subject matter?
Again at best , it is the teacher's perception in the report. Your children's future should not be left to guess-work.


Without a letter-grade system , we are setting the students up to fail in adult life. Students go through life having the illusion that the world out there is a bed of roses. They do not have to compete for anything. That's why society at large today in North America believes that everyone owes them a living. Such a system has ingrained in them this mental-culture of entitlement. They blame everyone for anything that goes wrong in their lives except themselves.


Personally, to be fair there are definitely minor limitations to the letter-grade report card system. However, its merits far outweigh any limitations to make it a valuable resource. The letter-grade system gives the schools, teachers , parents and most important of all , the student himself/herself something to aim for, a yardstick by which progress can be measured year to year. If we can't measure progress, then we have nothing to work towards.


Letter-grades are crucial in measuring the progress of the child at school. Competition is essential but as a tool to inspire not motivate. Inspiration comes from within but motivation is a result of external factors which rarely lasts. Every child must be impressed with the fact that he/she is filled with God-given talents. As educators (parents & teachers) , it is our God-given priviledge to help children develop their infinite potentials.