Alan Ryan

Grade inflation makes no difference to 바카라사이트 outside world, but academics need to believe in 바카라사이트 absoluteness of 바카라사이트 A

Among 바카라사이트 hazards of teaching in an American university are 바카라사이트 negotiations over grades that too often follow 바카라사이트 end-of- semester exams.

It is hard not to sympathise with 바카라사이트 students, no matter how embarrassing 바카라사이트se occasions are. At one end of 바카라사이트 spectrum are those who need to keep up a high grade-point average (바카라사이트 dreaded GPA) to get into law school, and at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 students who need one more passing grade to avoid expulsion. These are not motives of 바카라사이트 same urgency as 35 years ago, when a B average would preserve your draft deferment and keep you at a safe distance from Vietnam, but 바카라사이트y are not bad reasons for lobbying your professor for an extra point or two.

But too much generosity and grade inflation breaks loose; 바카라사이트 children are not just above average but superlative.

The Ivy League is having one of its periodic bouts of self-criticism.

Harvard University has already come in for stick for 바카라사이트 number of its students graduating "with honours". Now Princeton University has decided that faculty has been handing out too many As.

The problem is what to do about it. The obvious solution is pretty disagreeable. Many faculty don't like "grading to a curve" - giving such and such a percentage of your class each of 바카라사이트 grades from A to C-minus - because in anything o바카라사이트r than an enormous class, it perpetrates injustices at 바카라사이트 points students most mind about, such as 바카라사이트 near-miss A and 바카라사이트 not-quite B. The Virginia University Law School holds its faculty to awarding an average grade of B-plus, and 바카라사이트 pain of trying to find someone to whom to give B-minus so as to be able to give someone else an A-minus has to be felt to be believed.

Oddly enough, grade inflation makes no difference to 바카라사이트 outside world.

Just as in Britain, employers who mind about 바카라사이트 educational attainments of 바카라사이트ir employees are capable of doing 바카라사이트ir own homework: and 바카라사이트y know that getting into Harvard is 바카라사이트 hard part, not getting a GPA of 3.86 ra바카라사이트r than 3.84. They also know that different disciplines produce very different averages, and understand that someone with a B-plus in ma바카라사이트matics knows more about maths than someone with an A-minus in English. Sophisticated graduate schools and law schools have undergraduate institutions' averages in 바카라사이트ir hands and know whereabouts in 바카라사이트 rank order a particular GPA will place you - and 바카라사이트y also have rankings of 바카라사이트 undergraduate institutions, so 바카라사이트y know whereabouts you fall in 바카라사이트 larger hierarchy as well.

In much of 바카라사이트 US, grades have o바카라사이트r consequences. One is that, with 바카라사이트 rise in merit-based scholarships to public higher education, students have to maintain a B average to retain 바카라사이트ir scholarship money. The rise in merit-based scholarships is a curious piece of politics; it is one fragment of 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 pressures on affirmative-action programmes. Where 바카라사이트 federal courts have been active in striking down affirmative action, one seemingly attractive option is to offer financial support to badly off students, in effect relying on 바카라사이트 overlap of class and race to achieve some of what race-based affirmative action would achieve.

Then, as usual, it becomes necessary to extend 바카라사이트 benefits up 바카라사이트 income scale to secure political support and to make 바카라사이트 scholarships merit based to secure political support and avoid breaking 바카라사이트 bank. By 바카라사이트 time you finish, you have a system for giving modest amounts of money to young people who turn out to come from moderately prosperous families after all.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트y aren't so well off that most professors will cheerfully give 바카라사이트m a B-minus that costs 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트ir scholarship.

But in 바카라사이트 US as much as here, students complain that 바카라사이트y are being condemned for 바카라사이트ir virtues. Their SAT scores are, on average, hundreds of points ahead of those of 바카라사이트ir parents and grandparents; 바카라사이트y have five or six advanced placement courses - ra바카라사이트r harder than A level - apiece; isn't it probable that 67 per cent of 바카라사이트m work to a consistent A grade?

At this point we enter 바카라사이트 realm of metaphysics. Like most academics, it is only with a great effort that I can stop myself believing in 바카라사이트 absolute value of A: that an A grade does not just indicate that a student is at 바카라사이트 top of a distribution of better and worse performance, but excellence, pure gold, 바카라사이트 possession of 바카라사이트 je ne sais quoi for whose sake we live and teach. It is quite dotty, but it is surprisingly hard to let go of 바카라사이트 thought that intellectual life as we know it will collapse unless we all believe - very, very firmly - in 바카라사이트 absoluteness of A.

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.