By Gavin Mackintosh-
Secondary school students in the Uk hate the new numerical grading system, a survey by the eye of media.com reveals.
In a survey about education issues conducted by the eye of media across a sample of 1,200 students from 12 public secondary schools, 937 students altogether said they did not like the new numerical system of grading set this year to replace the traditional Astar to G grading system used for decades before Theresa May’s administration. That’s an overwhelming 75% of students who feel the new grading system is not attractive to them.
The remaining 263 expressed an indifference for the new grading system in which 9 is the highest and 1 is the lowest. Under the new system, a 7 is equivalent to the bottom of an A grade, whist a 4 is equivalent to the bottom of a C grade. Students overwhelminglyexpressed a preference for the old style grading system in which they could identify with the system used for years. Their outright rejection of the new system came to light when students were asked how they felt about testing and the marking standards intheir respective schools.
Over 25 % of students questioned voluntarily pointed out the new grading system as one they did not like, a number of them stating that it was ”not cool”, and should be scrapped. Thereafter, the question put to students was adjusted to specifically askstudents who did not voluntarily talk about the new grading system, how they felt about it. Many students in particular said they felt it undermined the class and quality the old grading system has in helping older generations be able to relate to the performance of their children or younger siblings, because they had grown up under a new system.
ANONYMOUS
Under the instructions of those overseeing the research, all identities of the children participating were made anonymous to encourage them to freely express their thoughts on various aspects of the survey. 724 of the 1,200 students(62%)of the students said they felt they were tested enough, whilst 427(37%) felt they were not tested enough in their various subjects. 1% of them admitted to not caring about tests or turning up for them. A high 835 of them (68%) said teachers lacked control over unruly students, and 844 students (71%), saying teachers did not know how to connect with pupils, especially academically weak pupils.
60% of the pupils said they did not feel the need to study or do up to 4 hours a week of private study or homework when they got home. However, just over 20% of those in those in this bracket said they read a lot of extracurricular books instead of academic studying of any sort.
The research was conducted among 11-13 year olds, with a different set of questions put to 14 and 15 year olds preparing Tor their G.C.S.E’s next year and the year after.
The eye of media.com was told by a group of students due to take their G.C.S.E in 2018 that many of the students who put themselves down as feeling tested enough may have said that to prevent a rise in testing that may result if they expressed their true feeling that they were not sufficiently tested. The plausibility of that thought is however negated by the fact this view cannot be proven either way. The finding of the research suggests that schools were students are under tested buck up and test their students more and thoroughly to ensure high rates of learning. The problem of inadequate discipline by teachers is an old one that requires specifically tailored solutions. The government will still need to step in at some point.
As far as the new grading system is concerned, it is here to stay for now. The government has said that the new system was established to infuse more rigour into the system and encourage differentiation among the highest achievers. However, the newsystem has caused confusion among parents, as it is also bound to do among employers who may have to annually rehearse the new system into their psyche.