Criticism against the new grading – “disinformation”

The recently presented grading investigation has created an intensive debate about the future of the Swedish grading system.
Among the critical voices are the grading expert Per Måhl, who believes that the proposal can have serious consequences for the school and the future of students.
– Those grades can never be knowledge -related or equivalent, he says in after five.

One of the most debated parts of the investigation is the proposal to introduce a new rating scale from 1 to 10, where failed grades are abolished and the rating will to a greater extent be based on national tests. Critics believe that this in practice means a return to the relative grading system, where a predetermined proportion of students should gain different grade levels regardless of their actual knowledge.

The rating expert critical

Per Måhl is sharply critical of this and believes that the system cannot be equivalent or knowledge -related.

– All researchers know that such grades cannot reflect students’ real knowledge. It becomes a statistical comparison rather than an individual assessment of students’ performance, he says.

Another aspect that has raised concern is the proposal for national tests, which will then be written in five to eight subjects, which should be of decisive importance for the students’ grades. Many students and teachers already testify today if the stress national tests are causing. A report from the Swedish Student Union and the Tim Bergling Foundation showed that national tests are considered to be the most stressful element in school.

– The fact that individual tests becomes decisive for one’s future creates a huge pressure. We run the risk of having a system where a bad day can have irrevocable consequences, says a representative from the Swedish Student Union.

Basic Problems have not been fixed

In addition to the criticism directed at the grading scale itself and the national tests, Måhl emphasizes that the school system has other fundamental problems. Among other things, he points to the lack of support to students in need of extra help.

– There are lots of statistics that say that 60 percent of those who have not received approved grades in six have not received any support at all.

In order to create a more fair and functioning grading system, Måhl believes that Sweden should invest in developing national tests that actually measure knowledge and act as an aid for the teachers’ grading. He also believes that school hours should be adapted so that students receive the support they need on time, rather than the problems being postponed to high school.