The grading dilemma

The grading dilemma

When it boils down to it, one of the most insidious problems with our education system is its emphasis on grades. Every year, thousands of students are reduced to a letter or number that is not really a reliable indicator of caliber or intellect. How can one diminish a student’s two year effort to one mark earned after a two or three hour exam? Yet this is precisely what we do. The negative impact of this grading on the way our students think, operate and see the world is becoming increasingly obvious.

–Photos by Fayyaz Ahmed/Dawn.com

Educationists and psychologists argue that a reliance on grades as a tool to motivate students is actually detrimental to the process of learning. Having taught for over three years myself, I agree. I cannot make a student love to read by brandishing a -10 at him. To force students to study a subject out of fear is to make it a drag for them. Bonus marks or failing grades serve only to increase anxiety and resentment; they do nothing to motivate students to take an earnest interest in the subject that they study.

Moreover, since grades are the only thing that students are taught to care about, they put in just enough effort to scrape by. I have seen students harass university professors to ‘narrow down’ the scope of a literary text and tell them which ‘five questions’ they should study from so that they can do well in an exam. Ideas such as research, the joy of discovery in critical thought and delving deeper into the book just because it is a profound read leave these students cold. Will all this extra effort be graded? No. Then why do it? So much so, that end of year examinations with their selective studying and cheating do nothing to promote learning or education: many rote learners will proudly boast a first division on their university degree and yet be unable to string a coherent sentence together.

Perhaps the most detrimental effect that our emphasis on grading has had is to kill the spirit of creativity. Most of our A/B graders are not risk takers. They like to play it safe. They don’t like to waste time studying anything ‘outside the syllabus’. Most of all, they hate to make a mistake, a quality which, according to Sir Ken Robinson, is the very antithesis of creative thinking. Solutions to a problem are acquired only after trial and error. But a schooling based on tests, quizzes, evaluations and exams does not reward but rather punishes any ‘out of the box’ approaches. 

This is not to devalue all our A-graders. Rather, it is to say that the A grade devalues students who are intelligent, hard working, and passionate about learning, because it gives no credit to the extra work they put in over the course of their study. The system does not motivate them to take on anything that will challenge them – if they can get an A while sitting within their comfort zones, then so be it. A system based on grades rewards the very mediocrity that we complain is seeping into our national character.

Lastly, grades just aren’t reliable. Some of my most brilliant students are not good exam-takers and it is monumentally unfair that the work they put in during two or more academic years is completely disregarded in one examination session. Many universities and even schools have to resort to interviewing applicants and potential students, despite their excellent grades, because their results do not necessarily indicate work ethic, diligence or intelligence for that matter.

If education is the route to success and the foundation of society, our system seems to be creating a nation that is lazy, apathetic and which cuts corners. There is no joy in learning here. There is cynicism with statements like ‘So what if I didn’t attend school, I got an A didn’t I’? A society where the end justifies the means and a single grade determines a student’s fate is a society bound to stagnate. Not only do we need to re-think the amount of emphasis we give to education in this country, we also need to focus on how to educate our youngsters and what we are teaching them in the process.

حساب زیست کا بس اتنا سا گوشوارھ ھے۔ تمہیں نکال کے دیکھا باقی سب خسارھ ھے

کبھی کبھی سوچتا ہوں کے اگر ہم مسلمانوں کی زندگی سے کافروں کو نکال دیا جائے تو ہمارا معاشرہ کیا منظر پیش کرے گا ؟ سواری کے لیے اونٹ خچچر اور گھوڑے استعمال کئیے جایا کریں گے، کیسا عجیب منظر ہوگا کمپنی کا ڈائیریکٹر خچچر پر سوار ہو کر آفس آیا کرے گا، مینجر حضرات اونٹ یا گھوڑے پر سوار ہو کر آیا کریں گے ، ہم جسے تو پیدل ہی جایا کریں گے آفس ، کام کی نوعیت بھی بدل جائے گی، کمپیوٹر پر ای میل کے بجائے کبوتر کے پر سے خط لکھے جایا کریں گے، کورئیر کمپنیز جہاز کے بجائے کبوتروں کے ذریے لیڑرز بھیجا کریں گی، کچی مٹی کی عمارتیں ہونگی تو زیادہ بلند بھی نہیں ہونگی اسلیے لفٹ کے استعمال کی بھی ضرورت محسوس نہیں ہوگی، بجلی ہی نہیں ہوگی تو تمام الیکٹرونکس آئیٹمز کی بھی ضرورت نہیں رہ جائے گی، گرمیوں میں ائیرکنڈیشنڈ اور ملّت فین کی جگھ ہمّت فین ہوا کرینگے جس کے ہاتھ میں جتنی طاقت اور ہمّت ہوگی وہ اتنی ہی زیادہ ہوا لیا کرے گا. چرخے سے کپڑا بنا جایا کرے گا ، ایک شپمنٹ گمان غالب ھے تقریبن تین سے چار سال میں یورپ پہنچ جایا کرے گی کتنی خوش حالی ہوجائے گی نہ ہر طرف، چپل سنگھا کر مرگی کا علاج ہوا کرے گا، کینسر اور دوسرے موزی امراض کے لیے ڈاکٹر بنگالی عامل سے جھاڑ پھونک کروائی جایا کرے گی، آپریشن کی تکلیف سے بھی نجات مل جائے گی ہمیں، جسے بھی موزی مرض لا حق ہوگا اسے جن بھوت کا سایا کہہ کر علاج کا خرچہ بچا لیا جایا کرے گا، آنکھوں میں موتیا نہیں پورا موتیا کا درخت اگ آیا کرے گا، موتیا کے معاملے میں ہم خود کفیل ہو جائیں گے ساری دنیا ہم سے مانگنے آیا کرے گی موتیا. جوانی میں حج کرنے کے لیے پچپن میں ہے خچچر پھ سوار ہو کر سفر پھ نکلنا ہوا کرے گا ، جوان بڑھاپے میں پہنچیں گے، اور بوڑھے حضرات کو تو سفر کے دوران ہی حج کی نیت کا ثواب مل جایا کرے گا، بغیر لاوڈ اسپیکر کے ملا حضرات مذہبی منافرت نہیں پھیلا پائیں گے، مولانا فضلل رحمان جو کے قوم کو دیکھانے کے لیئے کافروں کے خلاف ہیں اور غیرت پھر بھی نہیں آتی انہیں کے ان کے دل میں کافروں کی ہی ایجاد کردہ بیٹری لگی ہوئی ہے وہ بھی کافروں کا احسان لینے سے بچ جائیں گے، اور جلد اس دنیا سے رخصت ہو کر پوری پاکستانی قوم پر احسان عظیم کریں گے، کراچی والوں کو تو ہر روز حب ڈیم سے پانی بھر کے لانا پڑا کرے گا کیوں کے پانی سپلائی کرنے والی مشینیں ہی نہیں ہونگی، بار بار گھڑی دیکھ کر لوگوں کو انکی اوقات یاد دلانے سے بھی جان چھوٹ جائے گی قوم کی، سورج کی گردش سے ہی وقت کا اندازہ لگا لیا کریں گے، ایٹم بم کی جگھ ہمارے پاس منجنیق ھوتی انڈیا کے بم کے جواب میں ہم منجنیق سے پتھر برساتے جی تھری گن کی جگھ ہمارے فوجی جوانوں کے پاس تیر اور بھالے ھوتے اور ملا حضرات ہیمیں آج بھی یھ ہی تلقین کر رہے ھوتے ، مومن ھے تو بے تیغ بھی لٹرتا ھے سپاہی۔ پورے عرب کی زمین کے نیچے جو خزانے الله نے دیے ہیں جنھیں ہم تیل کہتے ہیں اسکی حیثیت بھی کیچڑ سے زیادہ نہیں ہوگی، پورا عرب دو ہزار دس میں بھی انیس سو پینسٹھ سے پہلے کا ہی منظر پیش کرے گا ، اگر کسی کو عرب کی ترقی دیکھنی ہو تو سعودیھ عرب کی انیس سو پینسٹھ سے پہلے کی تصویریں دیکھ لے سعودیھ عرب اور پورے عرب کی یھ بغیر پلر کی نام نہاد ترقی بھی کافروں کی ہی دین ہے، عرب کی زمین کے نیچے کیا کیا خزانے پوشیدہ ہیں یھ بھی انھیں کافروں نے ہی بتایا تھا. ورنہ ان کے لیے یہ تیل کیچڑ سے زیادہ کی اہمیت نہیں رکھتا تھا. کبھی سوچیے گا کے کافروں کو ہماری زندگی سے نکال دیا جائے تو کیا بچے گا ؟ نہ یھ کمپیوٹر بچے گا نہ یھ بلاگ بچے گا اور نھ ہی قوم کو آگاہی دینے والا کوئی بچے گا.

Tiger to sperm whale: Ten of the most extraordinary animals by Chris Packham

the wildlife expert chooses ten incredible animals

1. TIGER

On land, the tiger is probably the nearest thing to the ultimate killing machine. There's an assassin-like quality to their eyes and when you 'meet' one, you know he or she is thinking, 'If I could, I would eat you'

Everyone knows what a tiger looks like, but very few people have seen this magnificent animal. I've been lucky enough to get up close to a few tigers, and when you do, you realise they're much bigger than you thought  -  and start to appreciate their potential power and lethality. The largest tiger, the Siberian, can grow to over 10ft in length (including the tail) and can weigh up to about 670lb. Tigers are very front-heavy animals  -  they're all about the head and the front legs, with surprisingly narrow hips  -  and possess an incredible presence. That's humbling, and it's important to realise that we're only top dog through technology. On land, the tiger is probably the nearest thing to the ultimate killing machine. There's an assassin-like quality to their eyes  -  a ghastly coldness  -  and when you 'meet' one, you know he or she is thinking, 'If I could, I would eat you.' My girlfriend has tigers at her zoo, but despite the close bond she has forged with the animals, she never, ever goes into a cage with them. Like humans, they get tetchy when they get old  -  and if they're having a bad day, it's going to be a very bad day for you.

Pangolin (left) are nocturnal, so you're only likely to see one by chance. They're hunted in parts of Africa, and are also in demand in China. The Andean Condor (right) is like a dinosaur bird, it has hung on in South America

2. PANGOLIN

An amazing animal that is covered-with fingernail-like scales, has a keen sense of smell and can roll itself into a ball like a hedgehog. There are eight species in all, and the giant pangolin, the largest, grows to about 5ft 6in long. Pangolins are found in sub-Saharan Africa and large parts of Asia, and feed on ants. They're also nocturnal, so you're only likely to see one by chance. They're hunted in parts of Africa, and are also in demand in China, where their meat is considered a delicacy. Various healing properties are, rightly or wrongly, attributed to their scales. They're declining in numbers in many places, partly due to deforestation and the growing number of electric fences being erected in their traditional African habitat  -  when they hit a wire, they don't jump clear but tend to roll into a ball and are often electrocuted.

3. ANDEAN CONDOR

With a wingspan of over 10ft, the Andean condor is a bird out of time. An ancient, large black vulture, it evolved to take advantage of a period in history when there were large herds of animals roaming the Americas, the last of which was the bison. It's hung on in South America, but with the disappearance of such herds its numbers are probably in terminal decline. I don't necessarily regard its impending extinction as a bad thing  -  most of the animals which were around with them millions of years ago have long gone. In a way, it's like a dinosaur bird.

The sperm whale (left) can tip their tails and dive down to depths of perhaps over a mile, where the pressure is just extraordinary. A sort of living fossil, the coelacanth (right) has been around for some 400 million years

4. SPERM WHALE

A huge, highly intelligent marine mammal. It's difficult for us to imagine the sperm whale's world  -  and I'm not sure we'll ever fully understand it. They can tip their tails and dive down to depths of perhaps over a mile, where the pressure is just extraordinary, and stay submerged for up to 90 minutes. It's a pretty hostile environment down there: it's cold, pitch-black and so far beyond our understanding that it might as well be in deep space. What's more, they're active at the bottom of their dives, hunting squid and using their jaws to scoop up crabs and other crustaceans on the ocean floor. We know that sperm whales, which can live for around 80 years, have a 'voice' and can recognise each other as individuals. Indeed, it seems likely that they have a sort of 'group intelligence' which works on an entirely different level to ours. That said, there's a huge amount we don't know about the mammal, which can grow up to 65ft long. The great paradox is that we've come close to exterminating this amazing animal that was once so abundant in our oceans.

5. COELACANTH

A fish thought to have disappeared about 65 million years ago  -  until 1938, when one was caught off the coast of South Africa. A sort of living fossil, the coelacanth has been around for some 400 million years. Recently we've found out a bit more about them, and even managed to photograph them in their natural habitat. Their front fins are very much like legs, which they use to almost walk across the sea. Predatory fish, they're highly manoeuvrable and grow to over 6ft in length. They live deep in African and Indonesian waters, and have survived because their habitat has remained largely unchanged over their long existence.

6. KOMODO DRAGON

A large, lethal lizard, the komodo dragon can run quite quickly, and there are stories of them catching and eating humans

Found on a cluster of Indonesian islands, the Komodo dragon can grow to around 10ft in length. The reason it can get so big is that it's the only large predator on these islands. It's gigantism at work  -  a situation where the dominant species has grown to a huge size. A large, lethal lizard, it can run quite quickly, and there are stories of them catching and eating humans. Their method of catching prey is quite neat: they have serrated teeth which are a breeding ground for toxic bacteria. So when they bite their prey, they infect it, rapidly bringing on septicaemia and, ultimately, death. So, if the Komodo can't overcome another creature it bites, it simply follows it using its extraordinary sense of smell, until it sickens or dies. Interestingly, you find similar tooth grooves in Tyrannosaurus rex fossils, and this has led scientists to wonder whether the dinosaur used bacteria to kill its prey too. I once got to sit next to a tame Komodo dragon  -  still a daunting prospect, because they have a reputation for being feisty. It was a bit like sitting next to a reptilian hand grenade.

7. COCKROACH

The cockroach has been around for 300 million years. They can go for three months without food and a month without water, and taste their food before they eat it, so it's hard to poison them

Perhaps the greatest animal that's ever lived, it's been around for 300 million years. To put that in perspective, humans have been around for only a couple of million years. So when it comes to being a biological success, its only possible rivals are sharks, dragonflies, coelacanths and not much else. Cockroaches first appeared during the Carboniferous period, and are built for survival. They can go for three months without food and a month without water, and taste their food before they eat it, so it's hard to poison them. They produce their eggs in cocoon - like sacs called oothecae  -  and if you boil one, the eggs will still hatch. They're also very compressible, so they can squeeze into the tiniest cracks. As a result, they've gone with us wherever we've gone. We see them as the archetypal pest and have waged constant war on them, but they laugh in our face. They're still here after all this time, and will probably be around long after we've died out.

8. CUCKOO

We've been 'ringing' cuckoos for years - we've put around 6,000 rings on them in an attempt to chart their movements - yet we've had very few recoveries, apart from one found in midwinter in Cameroon

A famous harbinger of spring, the cuckoo is tragically in almost terminal decline in this country. We've been 'ringing' cuckoos for years  -  we've put around 6,000 rings on them in an attempt to chart their movements  -  yet we've had very few recoveries, apart from one found in midwinter in Cameroon. So for all we know about British cuckoos' movements here in the UK, we have no idea where they go when they leave here for the winter, other than knowing it's somewhere south of the Sahara. As a result, the British Trust for Ornithology has fitted satellite tags onto five cuckoos  -  one of which has been called 'Chris' in my honour  -  in a bid to find out more about them. If you visit bto.org you can follow the paths they're taking. The last time I checked on 'Chris'  -  who's already left Britain - he was somewhere south-east of Venice. The cuckoo is a reminder of the extraordinary wildlife on our doorstep.

9. HELLBENDER

A relatively ancient animal, the hellbender dates back around 65 million years and is found only in eastern North America, having adapted to fill a specific niche within its environment

One of the largest salamanders in the world - second only to the massive Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders - the wonderfully named hellbender reaches lengths of over 2ft. A relatively ancient animal, it dates back around 65 million years and is found only in eastern North America, having adapted to fill a specific niche within its environment. Hellbenders live in fresh water, in cool, clear streams and rivers with lots of large rocks, which they use for shelter. Their diet consists mainly of crayfish, but they also eat mud puppies (another type of salamander), small fish and other river creatures. I'll admit they don't look that appealing (one of their nicknames is 'snot otter'), but they're remarkable animals: they live for decades, and though they have lungs, they can breathe through their skin. I've been fascinated by these creatures - now in decline - ever since I was a kid, partly I suspect because of their name.

Hugely successful creatures, jellyfish have been roaming the seas for hundreds of millions of years

10. JELLYFISH

This is pure alien, in a way. There are about 2,000 species of jellyfish, and they can grow to a huge size and be extraordinarily dangerous. One of the most toxic animals on Earth is the box jellyfish, which lives primarily in the waters of the Indo-Pacific. If you get stung by one, it can be fatal  -  victims have died in the water. Hugely successful creatures, which have been roaming the seas for hundreds of millions of years, jellyfish are found in all the world's oceans  -  and in fresh water too.  I've been lucky enough to dive with them and see them up close, and when you do, it's a bit like witnessing living art. I just love looking at them  -  they're exquisitely beautiful, and there's something quite therapeutic about watching the way they move  -  and while they might appear to be fragile, with their soft bodies and lack of a brain or spine, they're not. As a body form you can't really imagine anything more different to us humans  -  and while they may inhabit our world, they might as well come from the Planet Zorg.

CHRIS PACKHAM PICTURE BYLINE: BBC/Jon Hall