American University Students Have It Easy
‘No trigger warnings here … the only way for French universities to control the number of students attending is to weed them out through failure’
The College Fix reports.
Students at American universities have it easy: What I learned studying abroad in France
It is a common French adage that a perfect score on any assignment is reserved for God. A nearly perfect grade is for the king, and the president is the only one who can earn what we Americans would call a B-plus.
In other words, grade inflation is not really a concern.
French students do not balk when receiving 12/20 on a test, or even 10/20. Anything above 10/20 — what would be considered failing at an American university — is a grade for which one should be proud. Failing in France equates to consistent scores of 5/20 or less, essentially a 25 percent in the U.S., to which we do not even assign a letter grade because such a mark is rarely, if ever, given.
Students at American universities have it easy: What I learned studying abroad in France (The College Fix)
Comments
I wouldn’t say this “grade deflation” is any better than inflation. Being unable to find exceptional students is the same problem when no one’s score stands out from among the lows as when everyone has a high score.