Thursday, May 07, 2009

Another head-scratching class discussion

I wonder if we've got our concept of school ranking correct? We accord top ranking to the schools that deliver the highest 'A' grade percentage. Shouldn't it be that the top schools are the ones with the highest failure rate instead? That would indicate that the top schools are operating at the highest possible standards and expectations for their students, and that just passing alone is a real challenge. Pass the best, fail the rest -- that would be the true measure of an elite school.

Doesn't a high passing percentage mean that our standards are so low that anyone can pass? We just don't give failure the respect it deserves and, as a result, our students still haven't a clue what being challenged means. Does that mean we are sending our graduates and scholars out into the world unprepared?

Now, how am I supposed to address this conundrum?

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