We attend school to learn, and we receive grades to measure how much we learn. These statements seem logical, but are they true? Pressure from parents, teachers, and society has warped our grading system.

In many cases students receive high grades because the teachers like them. In other instances students are aware of the teachers' test‑making methods. This is only defeating the purpose of learning, but it's great for grades.

Of course, there must be a system of measuring improvement. Grades are obviously the answer; however, they should exist in the background for the benefit of colleges but out of the reach of students.

This way no one would have any idea of the grades anybody else was receiving. There would be no one to compete with except oneself. The only alternative would be to study harder because one would never be sure how well he was doing‑perhaps, greater learning.

People always counteract this idea by questioning about the "non‑student" types. Grades are really no incentive to the minority who are indifferent toward education.

There is, of course, in a sense, a grading system in the "big world"; but it is a self‑imposed one. The system of unseen grades would teach people to measure up to themselves and not to anyone else.