Lowered standards hurt all students

There has been much debate by educators, institutional administrators and parents recently, including those highlighted in the article “Attendance policy questioned,” Jan. 9, that primary- and secondary-school student attendance continues to be diminished even as the lingering effects of the pandemic continue to fade.

There was a medical basis to limit the spread of disease by closing schools, invoking “tele-instruction” and justifying, at least partially, lower thresholds of academic performance during difficult times. However, the fallacy is that diminished academic standards still correlate to educated students. They do not.

Certainly, preparing schoolwork and having it evaluated for relative correctness — some call it a “grade” — is a valid measure to demonstrate knowledge. Not requiring work to be submitted or lowering the standards and still permitting students to pass classes, including pressuring teachers to advance students that do not submit work, provides students with a false sense of achievement while also diminishing the value of a diploma for those who learn the material.

Teachers’ jobs become far more difficult if they cannot see students in the classroom to assess academic understanding and use their professional skills to adjust learning strategies. Primary schools are largely focused on developing social habits along with underlying academic skills. Secondary schools — middle schools and high schools — are focused on developing stronger academic skills and underlying work ethics needed for the balance of a student’s life either entering the workforce or going on to higher education. Not requiring students to attend class or submit work for evaluation serves no one, least of all the students.

Rusty Bascom Schenectady