When all kids are expected to be learning at the same pace their academic level is determined by a letter grade, which is very mentally draining.

Grades kill the mental health of many children and diminish their self-worth. Students do not all learn the same way or at the same pace and grades are given out ruthlessly to kids who are trying their hardest. If we focused on students’ efforts to learn and really tried to get them to understand the subject and not just move on leaving them behind, kids would be doing better in school.

Parents, teachers, and administrators have expectations for all kids to be great, and learn at the same pace, but not all kids are the same. Students put pressure on themselves just to meet the expectation that these adults have set for them.

Research has shown that academic stress increases the chances of adolescents developing anxiety or depression. 

Students have to stay up late to do school work, and they end up doing worse the next day because of a lack of sleep. They become mentally and physically tired and risk their overall health to meet deadlines.

Also kids feel like their worth is determined by the grade they get in classes. Not only are they comparing themselves, but they are getting compared to other children by teachers. When students are not the same and learn at different speeds, this causes mental health issues.

People would argue that kids are being over dramatic and they just don’t want to do school work, but students are piled up with stuff that just keeps coming with grades, including; friends, family, change, growing up, and unbelievable pressure that breaks our backs.

School would not be school without grades, however if teachers were more lenient about grading and weighed their assignments differently maybe kids would be happier. A lot of students are trying their hardest but some adults would rather their kids have a good grade over good mental health.

Students just need time to focus on themselves for a moment, to figure themselves out because all of this different stuff is going on in these adolescents’ lives and they feel like none of it matters if they do not get a grade that will get them into college.

Grades kill mental health and this is why, kids should not only think of themselves highly when they get a good grade on something, there are other things to celebrate in life, you are not the letter grade that you get on your report card. Parents and teachers need to start looking at the students and not the grade on paper.