Grading in Our Schools by J. Grant Lamson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Apr 28, 1904

Grading in Our Schools

By J. Grant Lamson

(Concluded)

4. DIRECTLY connected with the subject of grades will come the system of promotion. I apprehend that a large part of the opposition to the expression “grades” comes from the mistakes and wrongs that have been committed by teachers in the promotions that have been made. These wrongs may be grouped, perhaps, under the three following heads:—

First, method of determining who are to be promoted; i. e., term standings or examinations.

Much can be said on both sides of this question, and in a future article I desire the privilege of discussing at length this particular phase; namely, term markings, as result of total markings and final tests.

It will be sufficient now to say that whatever method is used to determine who should be promoted, that method must be carried out with absolute honesty and the strictest fairness. The showing of partiality must be absolutely avoided. When the method of determining this important matter is decided, it should be carried out by all without fear or favor.

Second, methods of carrying out the promotions; i. e., the display and other obnoxious Jesuitical ideas that tend to give the student the notion that the boy in the eighth grade is a great deal better than the boy in the seventh.

It seems to me to be silly and absurd to make the display that has been made in the transference of students from one grade to another, from one room to another, from one teacher to another, with the idea of so honoring and complimenting and praising the ones who are promoted that others will be spurred to renewed energy and zeal in their school work. In my experience as a public school teacher I have noticed that this effort has the opposite effect. The individual who is not promoted has frequently worked harder than the one who is, sometimes has been more conscientious, and the inability to advance with the class to another room comes as a matter of discouragement rather than an inspiration.

The growing habit of people in many districts (I can speak especially of Michigan) to have “baccalaureate addresses” for those who are to leave the eighth grade, the making out of “graduation programs” for those who are just to leave that grade, and the heralding of “commencement exercises” for fourteen- and fifteen-year-old boys and girls,—where the girls can dress in white robes, with white slippers, white gloves, flowers in the hair, and blue ribbons hanging from a so-called essay,—must be severely condemned by those who can see to any degree the direction in which these exercises are trending. It is this display, built on the child’s love of display, this approbation, built on the child’s love of praise, which is working the pernicious, wicked results of crowding students out of one grade into another, crowding them through a grade, crowding them through the examinations, until they are said to have completed a grade when they have never completed it. It is the opinion of the writer of this article that if the false methods of promotion were eliminated from our whole school fabric, there could be very little said by any one against grading.

Third, objection to the word “promote” itself. As to the words “promote” and “promotion:” “pro” means forward; “mote” comes from the word signifying “to move.” To promote, then, means to move forward. Another definition would be “to advance.” The verb signifies to contribute to the growth or prosperity of. We will leave it for the individual who objects to the word “promote” to find a better word under the circumstances, before he takes from us the one we are now using.

In conclusion, permit me to say that our church-school work is suffering much because some have felt that it was necessary to cast aside every particle of experience and count it as nothing before they could enter the church-school work. Those who are accomplishing the most in our church-school work to-day are the teachers of experience. The Christian teacher has been and is able to recognize those things in the public-school work which are unchristian. Let us leave the evil, and never touch it again. But the Christian teacher has been able to discern many things in the public-school work which are of value. Let us use them. Time is too short for experiment where experience will suffice. Let us leave the exploiting of fads and theories to those who have plenty of time for such work. Our schools will profit by such determination on our part.

J. GRANT LAMSON.