Grades are important at school

A few weeks before the end of the school year, the familiar sights of opening folders, last-minute reviews, anxiety, and anticipation return. For many students, the end of the year is synonymous with pressure, not balance and learning. In this context, qualifications come back into focus. But what do notes actually reflect? Do they assess learning, or are they just part of the journey?

Grades are important. Not only because it orders or certifies results, but because it teaches how to overcome moments of effort, evaluation, and waiting. they are part of life. Remind them that learning also involves putting yourself out there, taking risks, enduring frustrations, and capitalizing on your accomplishments.

The important thing is not to eliminate grades or soften demands, but to help young people understand their meaning and learn how to cope with pressure rather than get caught up in it.

For a long time, schools relied on the logic of accreditation: pass, pass one year, promote. However, the reality of education shows that this plan is no longer sufficient. According to Argentinos por la Educación, only 1 in 10 students graduate from high school on time. But there’s more behind the numbers than just the numbers. There are trajectories, processes, and contexts that don’t necessarily translate into notes.

We live in a complex moment. Only 14.2% of secondary students reached a satisfactory level in mathematics in their last learning test, and 54.6% did not even reach the basic level. In language, 16% still don’t understand what they read. These are not isolated pieces of data. These represent a huge gap between what we assess and what students actually learn. Therefore, we need to rethink assessment as part of learning, rather than as the end of it.

So-called formative assessment proposes incorporating assessment into education. This means sharing success criteria with students, providing different ways for them to prove what they know, and providing ongoing feedback. Evaluation is not just about measurement. It’s about accompanying, fixing, and trying again. For students, teachers, and institutions, each case study should be useful for learning about learning methods, what has been achieved, what is missing, and what can be improved. Evaluating involves triggering metacognition. student You can look at your process and recognize yourself in it.

14.2% of middle school students achieved a satisfactory level in mathematics. 54.6% had not even reached the basic level. In language, 16% still do not understand what they read (learning test).”

At the same time, the emotional aspect cannot be ignored. Today, many young people attend school facing conditions that affect their well-being. Some of these challenges arise in environments that seek to avoid frustration and mistakes, depriving children of fundamental experiences that foster independence.

Add to this the challenges of the digital age, such as overexposure, constant comparison, and anxiety. Schools play an irreplaceable role in this scenario. It’s about being a space of guidance and containment where you can fail, learn, and try again without fear of criticism.

Accommodating young people during the assessment stage is not about freeing them from their demands, but about helping them understand them. When grades stop being viewed as mere writing and instead become tools for growth, they can become an opportunity. Learning to value and be valued is part of life. It teaches you to strive, to wait, to accept mistakes, and to improve yourself.

Making each assessment an example of learning rather than fear will create not only better students, but also a more autonomous workforce who recognizes their potential and can face different learning, socializing, or work situations in safer and more meaningful ways.

*Founder of Itínere Educational Network, Executive Director of HUB Education and Innovation