Because the Traditional Grading Scale of a Through F Foster Needless Competition and Pressure, Colleges and Universities Should Use a Simple Pass/Fail System.

It has been argued that abolishing the traditional grading scale in favor of the pass/fail system would have eliminated the competition among students and would instead favorite a more relaxed, positive environment at school. I do not agree with that. I instead think that the traditional grading system is still a valuable tool for both students and teachers.
Students in the long run are going to benefit from the competition’s pressure given by the traditional grading system personally and academically. From a personal point of view, students are going to learn how to manage competition at school, a skill that they will have to use a lot in their lives, especially in their future working environment. Learning how to compete to excel when they are still young would help them in their future challenges. From an academic point of view, the traditional grading system would give the students the opportunity to know their strengths and weaknesses. It would suggest them in which areas they need a major effort. For instance, for a student is going to be very important to know whether she would pass a math test with A or C. If she/he passes with an A, she would know that she is very prepared in the subject. If, instead, she passes with a C, she would decide to study more to improve her performance in order to get an admission to a good university. Moreover, it would help students in deciding on which subject to focus. For instance, it would help high school students in their major’s decisions.
The traditional grading system is also very important for teachers, since it increases teaching effectiveness. Since students need to be pushed to improve their performance, the traditional grading system provides teachers with the well-needed incentive for students. On the contrary, a pass-fail system would not provide the teachers with the sufficient leverage to help students to excel. The traditional grading is also an important feedback for teachers since it helps them to...