School revolution in MV: Learning without grades – opportunity or risk?

School revolution in MV: Learning without grades – opportunity or risk?

The start of school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania brings a breath of fresh air and heated discussions about the topic of grading students. With the opening of the Free Democratic School in Friedland, which takes in 23 children between the ages of 6 and 15, a new approach to the education system is presented. This school avoids traditional censorship, which elicits both approval and criticism on social media. While some see the move as progressive and necessary, others express concerns about the future prospects of students without grades. That's how he reports Uckermark courier.

Interestingly, the Free School in Friedland is not the only one taking this path. Grades have also been dispensed with in a primary school in Mollhagen (Schleswig-Holstein) since 2014, and the Lassaner Winkel village school in Klein Jasedow has been implementing similar concepts since 2017. Even the Rügen Free School, which works according to the Montessori concept, is contributing to the discussion. Model schools that try out this unconventional approach to assessment show different approaches and encourage reflection on the existing system.

Feedback instead of grades

The situation is similar in Hamburg, where students at the Max Brauer School do not receive any grades for grades one to eight. Instead, an individual feedback system is used. Grade certificates are only awarded from the ninth grade onwards. Enno, a high school graduate who studied at this school, describes the traditional grading system as outdated and points out the need for new forms of assessment. He claims that students and parents appreciate the traceability of learning progress and goals. You can find out more about this on the German school portal.

But despite such positive examples, things are not looking rosy everywhere. A survey by the opinion research institute YouGov from 2016 shows that more than 80 percent of Germans stick to the awarding of grades and believe that it makes sense to sit and sit if grades are inadequate. With this attitude, progressive schools face a challenge that emphasizes the need for modern and adaptable performance assessment.

The future of error culture

Experts emphasize that the classic certificate and grades continue to represent central elements of the educational path. However, the discussion about what a more adaptive assessment might look like is becoming increasingly important. An individualized performance assessment without grades could potentially set the course for a sustainable error culture in which the learning and development of the student is the focus. Where the journey in the German education system ultimately leads remains to be seen, but the debate is in full swing.