I listened to the radio FM 88.1 on my way to work on Monday and the DJs were discussing over a debatable topic with their call-in audience.
"Is getting A's important for students?"
Initially, I thought it was a very lame topic. However, after listening to many opinions of the public, I had the urge to call in too. But I did not anyway because I was driving. Thus, I want to make my points here.
First, I think A's should not be used as a measurement for a student's ability. Many parents always ask for straight A's from their children. Many of them think that grades should reflect "how smart" or "how capable" their kids are. That should not be the way. A student should not be judged solely based on their academic performance. Other aspects like bodily kinetic, musical talent, artistic skills, etc., should be taken into account too.
Grades do show how much a student care for his education. Ryan, one of the three hosting DJs, said that A's can be a form of motivations for students. I agree to his opinion. I think students can take A as a standard bar. If every student aim to score A's in their studies, I am sure they can at least score above average even at difficult subjects. Also, when a student receive A's on their grades report, it can be an engine of motivation - pushing them forward. In other words, these A's are promising rewards for their efforts put in, it can be very satisfying.
Nowadays, almost all college/universities or higher education institutions around the world look at students' scholastic performance as the major requirement for entry. Hence, it is certainly that a student perform at least at an acceptable level in order to qualify for a seat in their desired institutions. Especially for the local universities like UM and IMU, look at their requirements and you will be frightened.
Scholarships are definitely another tricky part of whether or not A's are important. Many of the students in Malaysia are classified under the middle class sosio-economic class. Many of them need some form of scholarships/financial aid to pursue higher education. Let's look at this picture together.
A very typical career path from secondary to higher education.
Yes, a LARGE sum of money is needed for education. If scholarships or financial grant do not come into the picture, students from a lower income family/with more children will have trouble continuing their higher studies. So, A's indirectly help students to move further ahead.
In short, it is whether we want to suffer now, enjoy later; or enjoy now and suffer later. Great saying goes: No pain, no gain. Or the Chinese would say, "There's no free lunch."
Now, is getting A's important for you? You decide.
