Grade vs Marks: Can grades measure talent of students?

Kozhikode: The existing grading system which is being used to weigh the potential of each student is a total failure, experts point out.  Currently the grading system is: students scoring 90 to 100 marks get A+, 80 to 89 gets an A, 70 to 79 gets B+ and 60 to 69 gets a B. If we look at the basis of marks, it will be proved wrong the common belief that only those who score A+ in all subjects are smart ones.

If we look into examples, a student who scores 92 marks in each subject gets a full A+ and is considered brilliant but the total mark would just be 920. However, if we check on the basis of marks, a student who gets less than 90 percent marks in any one subject is more likely to excel than a student with this 920 marks.

Similarly a student who gets six A+ and four A's has chances of scoring more marks than a child who scores A + in all subjects. For example, if a student scores 99 marks in six subjects and 88 marks in four subjects, the total will turn out to be 946 marks which is 26 more than a student who gets full A+ totalling to 920.

It is clear through these examples how the grade system affects students who study well but just feel secondary because they lost two or three marks in one subject. 

These are a few examples with which teachers, students and parents are constantly arguing about this injustice on social media. Despite that, education department officials are continuing their policy in this regard.

There are criticisms that the grade system celebrates average people who get the same marks instead of those who are academically strong. 

It may be possible that a student who excels in maths may be a little weak in language and can go the other way round too. This grading system is classifying students in different blocks based on their grades. It is unclear as to how the talent is measured, if it is the average excellence in all subjects or exceptionally talented in any particular subject.