In the third part of my series dealing with society’s problems, I will consider the errors in the educational system. I have written about the responsibilities of students and parents. If schools would stand firm against their failings, all would be well. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Schools have dropped the ball, so to speak, and the results have been, and still are, tragic.

What has happened? Bowing to the pressure applied by lazy students, and without support from parents, the schools have relaxed their standards to the point where As and Bs mean almost nothing. There is a great deal of pressure on the schools to make students feel good by succeeding in class.

We don’t want students to “feel bad” by getting a C or a D, because it might hurt their self-esteem. This is a cultural problem. Everyone’s self worth is tied up in how smart he or she thinks they are, or how much athletic ability they have.

This has caused parents to be dissatisfied when their child does not perform well academically. They complain if their precious student doesn’t receive an A or a B. This makes no sense. An A should be something that is very difficult to achieve. It means there has been excellence achieved in a particular subject.

Not everyone should be capable of an A. This does not, however, mean that a person who receives a lower grade should feel bad about himself. One cannot help one’s ability in school, just like their ability in sports, or their hair color. If they have put out as much effort as the A student, then they have accomplished the same amount, and should feel just as good.

In order to accommodate this desire for high grades, the schools have watered down their classes, and give the grades away. This not only causes the grade to be meaningless, but also lowers the overall level of education for everyone. With easy classes, there is no pressure on the students to excel. This causes the students to be lazier, and a vicious cycle appears.

What can be done about this? Perhaps a return to the early roots of education. Children used to be instructed all in one classroom, learning at their own rate. In this scenario, all students would be “successful” but some would progress faster than others.

In this way, high standards could still be enforced, but all students would eventually be able to succeed. If the current system is maintained, students will grow more and more lazy. This cannot be allowed to continue.