Whose Weight is Heavier in the Capsizing Boat of the Grading System?

Picture credit: Pinterest

By Prevail Otobo

A new semester, a fresh start, a harder grind, another moment of polishing your grades until they shine. Another time to sing on the street of UI, the Academic Comeback song. Students calculate and map out structures, including every single thing they could have done but didn't do in the previous semesters, the mental picture is always the same, a transcript filled with parallel sparkling A’s. Attend classes on time, take detailed notes, study consistently and of course the inevitable one, “ADURA”. What could wreck such a diligent and well-structured plan? Not a single hurdle on site. Yet, as the weeks roll by, the reality begins to unfold, there are external factors too, one beyond the control of students. Occasionally, the real obstacle comes from the very people entrusted to guide them and even facilitate their success, their lecturers. It is a truth that many students whisper among themselves but rarely say aloud that lecturers often play a decisive role in dragging students down academically. While education is supposed to be a partnership between teacher and learner, too often the balance is broken. In such cases, no matter how disciplined or determined a student may be, the odds of success are stacked against them. 

One of the most common frustrations students face is absenteeism. A lecturer who repeatedly skips classes, postpones lectures without notice, or rushes through topics with little explanation leaves students in uncertainty. How can knowledge be passed effectively when classes are irregular or reduced to summaries at 2x speed? Students are left piecing together scraps of information like a difficult puzzle from textbooks or seniors’ notes, struggling to make sense of concepts that should have been broken down systematically in class. Then there is the issue of poor communication. Some lecturers step into the classroom with an air of superiority, speaking in jargon or delivering content as though they are addressing PhD students rather than undergraduates. Others are unwilling to clarify doubts, dismissing questions as “silly” or “irrelevant.” Instead of advancing curiosity and clarity, they spawn fear and silence. A student who feels intimidated or belittled is less likely to engage in active learning, this silent withdrawal often reflects in their grades.

The most alarming is the way some lecturers treat grading. Rather than using assessments as tools to measure and encourage understanding, they sometimes use them as weapons of punishment. Tests are designed not to evaluate knowledge but to catch students off guard. Assignments are given without clear instructions, only to be marked harshly later. In certain cases, bias creeps into the marking process, with favouritism,  personal grudges or mood influencing outcomes. Imagine a lecturer telling his students to pray for lecturers to be in a good mood when allocating scores to them, why? Since when did emotion become an important determinant of a student’s grade? Why does a student have to pay with their grade for whatever issue a lecturer is dealing with? For a student who worked tirelessly and yet ends up with a grade that does not match their effort, the disappointment cuts deeper than anything, scarring both their CGPA and confidence. 

If the future of a student can be altered simply because a lecturer is in a bad mood, holds a grudge, or is careless, then the credibility of the examination system loses its essence. Grades stop reflecting brilliance, hard work, and preparation, and instead become a reflection of fickle sentiments, which defeats the very reason examinations exist: to sieve out the diligent, reward merit, and identify excellence fairly.

To tamper with a student’s grade because of emotion or prejudice goes beyond being an academic injustice, it places a young person’s dreams, opportunities, and career trajectory in jeopardy, not because they lacked knowledge, but because someone wielded power carelessly. Until this principle is implemented, every certificate becomes less of a true testament of a person’s worthiness and more of a sheet of paper heavily influenced by serotonin. 

Selah.