Behavior Grades Comeback Divides Parents in Arkhangelsk Schools
Russian schools are planning to introduce grades for behavior. A pilot version of this initiative is already in effect in seven regions of the country. Parents from Arkhangelsk have shared their opinions on the possible changes. Opinions are divided.
«At Least Some Method to Deal with Troublemakers»: Arguments For
Some parents believe that behavior grades can draw parents« attention to their child»s problems.
«My child is well-behaved, and these grades aren»t very necessary for me as a parent. But I know there«s a top student in the class with terrible behavior, and perhaps bad grades will make the parents pay attention to it. At least some method to influence bullies. The main thing is not to overdo it and not punish for any giggles in class, so it doesn»t oppress them,« says Anna from Arkhangelsk.
«I think this is a positive change. Teachers sometimes can»t handle a group of disobedient children who disrupt the whole class. A bad grade will be a signal for parents to have conversations. Then specific students will be punished, not the whole class. I wonder if it will be possible to improve these grades? And how? By washing the walls in the hallway?« ponders Maria, mother of a ninth-grader.
«We had such a column in the report card per quarter. I»m not against behavior grades — it«s another incentive to behave well. The teacher doesn»t always inform adults about children«s behavior. Sometimes you find out after the fact: when the teachers have already been driven crazy. In one such case, they called me right during the lesson… Of course, if there»s a constant general background requiring basic behavior rules from children, it won«t harm anyone. The main thing is that this grade doesn»t affect academic performance in subjects,« says a mother of two schoolchildren from Arkhangelsk Oblast.
Some parents consider the innovation useful because bad behavior will have less influence on grades in specific subjects.
«It»s better to assess behavior separately than to lower grades for knowledge when a child misbehaves. I«ve encountered such a phenomenon — the teacher lowered the grade for the subject, openly stating that the student is too self-confident in class and she»s «breaking» him this way,« says Larisa.
«Degrades Human Dignity»: Arguments Against
Some northerners consider behavior grades unnecessary.
«What for? This won»t solve anything. It only degrades human dignity. Schools are already a madhouse,« writes an anonymous internet user.
«I believe that a grade in school won»t help maintain discipline because children for whom grades are important already have good behavior, and for bullies, grades usually aren«t important,» reasons Ivan, father of two.
«What does »good behavior« mean? One can be silent and smile, but bully others online. Or one can snap and shout when the whole group slowly pushed you to it. Children»s behavior is in the hands of parents, educators, class teachers, teachers, psychologists. I don«t understand how a grade can cultivate what adults should do,» believes the father of a fifth-grader from Arkhangelsk.
«This grade doesn»t affect anything,« thinks Natalya from Arkhangelsk.
Earlier, the director of the largest school in Arkhangelsk Oblast told 29.RU that educational institutions are practically powerless against destructively minded children. Teachers and school administrations simply have no legal leverage over them.
We also reported on what the psychological-pedagogical community thinks about behavior grades.
