In his article on the way to improve our education system, Carl Singleton proposes giving more Fs to students who have not learned the required materials. He states that our education system has not been effective because teachers are used to giving credit where it is not due. When students are given passing grades instead of being flunked, they leave colleges without the needed qualifications (Singleton, n.d.). When they eventually become teachers, they are unable to impart knowledge, as they didn’t have any themselves. The current system has contributed to increased ignorance among students, who are assured of good grades, even if they do not work hard. Sending students back to their parents with failing grades will force parents to deal with the situation of their failing sons and daughters and this will promote learning.
I disagree with the argument of Singleton because I do not think his arguments will help in promoting education. Firsts and foremost, giving students failing grades will not encourage them to learn more, and will instead demotivate them. When students get passing grades, they are motivated to work harder; with the hope that they will achieve even higher grades in future classes. Instead of giving passing grades, to specifically make the student work harder, instructors should come up with ways to motivate them without demotivating them. Such ways of motivating them may include offering motivational sessions and guiding them to become the best they can be. Giving failing grades will also discourage learning by cutting students’ morale in education, especially given that most students will see failure as disappointment.
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"What Our Education System Needs Is More Fs".
Singleton believes that failing grades will promote illiteracy in high schools because students who were never qualified to teachers become teachers and start teaching in schools (Singleton, n.d.). I do not agree with his argument and I am opinionated that it is failing grades that will promote illiteracy in high schools. When students get failing grades, they still need to present the grades to their parents. The thought that the grades will portray them as “numb” kills their passion for education and reduces their chances of ever becoming teachers. Such kind of situations have led to the increased shortage of teachers in high schools. If the students are guided and encouraged to put an extra effort in their studies, they will have better chances of becoming great teachers than in situations where they are flunked out of school.
Singleton believes that failing grades will bring voters, school boards, and principles together to discuss the best of promoting cost effectiveness in education. He says that the current education system has not been effective because schools accommodate students who have not passed, thus raining the cost of maintaining them (Singleton, n.d.). I disagree with this argument because I feel that it is not conscious of the education needs of all people. I am opinionated that all students should be given equal education opportunities to study and change their lives. Not funding students because they have failed will only come out as a form of discrimination.
To some great extent, Singleton blames teachers for the continued deterioration of the education system. This is because unqualified teachers are unable to effectively guide students in the attainment of great learning skills (Singleton, n.d.). I do not agree with this argument because I believe our schools have great teachers. Not all of them have the highest qualifications but I believe most are committed to what they do and want the best for the students. Were it not for the great teachers in our schools today, many people would not have achieved their potential. In fact, teachers are the reason why we have a great education system today.
