Pauline Madsen

The grading system and the grading scale in Swedish schools have changed several times over the years, and for various reasons. Despite this, problems remain, such as that grades are not equal, or that students feel stressed about not getting good enough grades and that many students fail.

As a future visual arts teacher, I have many times asked myself the question: What grading system is actually the best? Is it ethical to fail students in a compulsory school, and will teachers ever have the opportunity to interpret grading criteria, core content and aims in different subjects in exactly the same ways, so that they can give equal grades?

When the grading criteria have become so clear that they can only be interpreted in one way, then everyone can be involved in evaluating and assessing. Maybe parents can even evaluate their own children.