But the inclusion of material for this purpose stands education on its head. Teachers deserve shame, not praise, if their students fail to achieve. Teachers who take pride in giving low grades blame the students, not themselves, when course material is not mastered as quickly as it is presented. They expect every student to learn the same material in the same amount of time. The students who fail are blamed undeservedly, and the teachers who fail them are esteemed undeservedly - but the real culprit is the grading system.
Competitive grades turn educational priorities on their head.
Classes in which most of the students master the material are perceived as unchallenging. Meanwhile, prestige is accorded to teachers who are unable to help most of their students learn the material. The situation is ridiculous. Teachers and students are all victims of a competitive grading system. As long as teachers are forced to make comparative judgments, they cannot focus single-mindedly on the improvement of students' learning.