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Sure, it's a subjective number that certainly does not solve all the problems with our education system. But it specifically addresses the problem highlighted in the post. On a 100-point scale under the 10-point grade bin convention, 60% of the grading scale is assigned to a failing grade; under the 7-point grade bin convention, 70% of the grading scale is reserved for failure. Thus schools/districts have created rules that teachers can't assign less than 50 (or whatever number they decide on) to minimize the heavy weighting of failing grades. But this creates a situation where someone who did the assignment but did poorly receives the same grade as someone who didn't even show up. Under the 4-point scale, all grades (A, B, C, D, and F) are weighted equally, which reduces the urge admin might have to set a minimum grade and minimizes the habit teachers may have to assign failing grades to students who may actually be slightly better than failing.

Viewing school as indoctrination is a societal choice - it doesn't have to be that way. Are there other ways to learn? Absolutely. And we should value those just as much as we value a traditional school-based education. I'm all for that, and all for alternative evaluation systems that don't involve assigning a number to everyone, but in my experience most people -- and especially students -- don't want to put in the time or effort it takes to really evaluate people or themselves beyond a GPA-type number.