Higher Education: Grade As
Why Higher Education Shower Students with A’s
The showering of students with A’s at higher education level can be tied to the argument of Milton Friedman that low-quality products can claim a market share provided that they sustain the aspects of quality that gradually reduces as time progresses. “Low-quality products can do extremely well in the market if they observe veneer of quality while snow bowling downhill, as is evidenced in the higher education (Staples 1065).” Compelled with fierce competition and high demand for education, colleges have been forced to devise ways on which they can attract many consumers as possible. The issuance of more A’s to the students is one of the most employed techniques by the colleges to attract more students (Frey). As a result, the value of the degree appears to have lost value through grade inflation. 
It is depicted that grade inflation is not only evident in most prestigious and reputable colleges but also in the community-based institutions (Staples 1065). For example, the research connotes that what may be a B- grade today can be equated to the C grade a decade ago. This observation leads us to question what might be the contributing factors to this trend. Observers and educational analysts offer some of the major reasons behind the laxity of professors and colleges in showering their students with A’s. This essay abides by the findings of the observers and education stakeholders to explore the critical causes of unjustifiable means that colleges use to reward their students academically.
“It was found that some colleges offer courses that do not attract many consumers and therefore, they are in danger of being canceled due to failure to reach the required quorum (Staples 1065).” In order to remain in business, these departments are left with no other alternative other than to please their clients by giving them the highest academic grades. Secondly, it was found that self-centered professors who value their promotion and job security more than quality education inflate grades to avoid negative performance evaluation from their students.
Part-time instructors have also been accused for degrading the value of education in colleges. For example, findings indicate that part-time tutors teach almost half of the courses offered by the colleges. Putting into consideration that these professors care a lot about their job tenure they will do anything to avoid complaints from the students. In their attempts to please their students, they award C grade students with an A grade. “Part-time lectures suggests that their students will threaten them with complaints to the institution if they do not reward them good grades (Staples 1066).”
Educational institutions have also been turned into profit-making hubs, and they are no longer focused on the quality of education. In fact, what matters is the population as that means more profit (Barry 860). To achieve their goals, these organizations engage in opening many satellite campuses as possible both locally and internationally. This strategy is largely practiced by the private universities, and to attract more students; they are influenced to reward them with A’s. “The academic institution’s profit-oriented goals puts the future of the students at risk because they are not prepared fully for the job market (Maeda 988).”
The competition among the private, public universities and small colleges is another major contributor to the showering of students with A’s. “Based on the cost they incur to cater for their education, students values their grades more than ever (Graff 959).” This has led students suing universes for the grades to be remarked or revised upward an approach that was not applicable two decades ago (Staples 1066). The educational observers’ terms this as a cosmetic surgery which is likely to have serious consequences in future. However, the institution administrations have defended this position by arguing that current student generations are always better prepared than it was the case before.Obviously, someone would be happy if he or she scored an A grade in certain class when in a real sense he or she expected a C or D grade. However, the compelling question should be whether someone worked hard enough to deserve the grade or it was just a free grade given by the school. As much as Staples and other scholars have tried to suggest the reasons behind showering of students with A’s they appear to have failed to identify the major cause of this problem.
The major cause of giving free grades in universities can be traced back to the primary and high school levels (Barry 858). The education system has weakened over years which in return has contributed for the enrolment of less qualified students for higher learning education. With high competition among the colleges, learning institutions are compelled to enroll them despite their poor performance at other lower education levels. To maintain their reputation, they opt for rewarding these students with high grades. In conclusion, this essay opines that showering of A’s grades is critical concern that education policymakers should address appropriately.