Students and teachers discard the seven-point scale with a shrug: "It's a shame that we still use it"

Both teachers and students criticize the government for prolonging the use of the seven-point scale.

Both Danish high schools and universities are dissatisfied with the current grading scale of seven levels. When students at high schools and universities submit an assignment or take an exam, they are graded on a seven-point scale, which ranges from -3 to 12. However, if it were up to both teachers and students, the way students are graded would have been abandoned long ago.

The current grading scale has been criticized for years for being both arbitrary and contributing to an unhealthy performance culture among students. The government is now criticized by various parties for not addressing the need for a new grading scale.

- It's very disappointing to say the least. We've been talking about this for years, and the scale has been a topic of discussion since we got it. The bottom line is that it just doesn't work. It's a poor tool for us teachers, and it's unfair for students, says Thomas Kepler, who is the chairman of the Danish Gymnasium Teachers' Association.

And high school students share the same sentiment, according to Joachim Stærk Federspiel.

- It's completely incomprehensible that we still have this scale, and it's a bit of a letdown for all the young people who are signing up for this scale, as well as those who will sign up in the future, he says.

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Creates unnecessary pressure and character race

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Teachers, students, and several experts share three major concerns about the seven-point scale.

First, there is too much distance between especially the middle grades 4, 7, and 10. This means that it is often difficult to give a student a grade that matches their effort, as the jumps are too large.

Second, the grade -3 is criticized for being unnecessarily harsh and demotivating.

And third, the scale is criticized for focusing too much on mistakes and deficiencies when grades are given.

Together, this means that students have a narrow focus on grades and lose the motivation to challenge themselves academically, according to Thomas Kepler.

- It's a development we've seen go in the wrong direction since the seven-point scale was introduced. There has been an overly competitive grading culture, a negative performance culture, and an excessive focus on the grade itself, which hinders students' ability to engage with the subjects and ask questions or make mistakes, he says.

And at Danish universities, there is a consensus that the government should abandon the current grading scale.

- A new scale should have even intervals between grades and we should focus more on strengths, learning, curiosity, and depth, instead of the current situation, says Hanne Leth Andersen, spokesperson for the Danish Universities' Educational Policy Group.

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’We don't solve problems with a new grading scale’

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The same conclusions were reached by an expert group in the fall of 2020.

The group was appointed by the then Social Democratic government, and one of its recommendations was that the grading scale should be changed.

One of the members was Lars Ulriksen, who is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Copenhagen.

As far as he knows, the expert group has not received any feedback from ministers or ministries since they submitted their recommendations nearly four years ago.

- And we haven't heard why nothing seems to have happened, he says.

It also surprises him that the idea of rethinking the grading scale has not been implemented yet, but he also emphasizes that a new grading system cannot solve the challenges of performance pressure and dissatisfaction that many students face.

- If we want to address the issues of student well-being and character race, we need to look at how we politically create a space for students where they receive real feedback on what they can and cannot do, he says and continues.

- For well-being means less about the specific number. It's about how we use grades.

- In this way, they can focus on learning and becoming skilled in their subjects, without constantly being measured and evaluated with grades and admission requirements.

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