Today I got an assignment back from my social studies teacher. It was a survey I had been conducting on people’s perceptions of fat vs. sugar, and had been submitted to, we’ll call him Mr. Baines, for grading a few weeks back. When it was handed back to us today, I was devastated at my mark: 3. Keep in mind that this is 3/7, equivalent to a D+, the worst grade I’ve ever academically received. I’m writing this as I was studying the pages to see where I had lost marks, and figure out that everything that was wrong had been related to a stringent mark-scheme all the teachers had. For example, in my hypothesis I had more than one part to my prediction of results, however the mark-scheme said it counted as more than one hypothesis, so I was given a 0 in that area. In my evaluation, I cited common knowledge of the fact that online surveys aren’t always taken seriously, perhaps due to the fact that anonymity inspires survey takers to answer questions dishonestly. The mark-scheme assumed all people would answer honestly, so I was given a 0 in that are as well. The next day I walked up to him and asked why he graded me down, and he answered, “Why not?” Not only did this infuriate me but it took all my will to not lash out in passionate fury at a man who in 2 words had told me why I had gotten my worst academic grade ever. However, this was for only the briefest of moments, as the consequences of such an action would be more serious than even the lowest of grades.

Later that night, lying in bed, I contemplated giving up. My assignment was perfectly acceptable, yet it didn’t fit in with the “Standard Content” the mark-scheme advocated was necessary, such as a simple research question and brief conclusion, keeping everything concise as if the ramifications of society believing sugar caused people to lose weight (which it doesn’t) could be summed up in 1 paragraph. I laughed softly to myself, wondering who wrote these mark-schemes, and why they thought they could just make a boundary of what was acceptable and expect every student to conform to their idea of the ideal assignment. Then it struck me, school advocates, and yet at the same time destroys individualism. Teachers come up with these ideas of what students should be doing to earn a certain grade. Yes, all students should complete assignments the exact same way, according to their versions of Holy Scripture (mark-schemes) or face being graded down academically, as if somehow their struggle to be different and unique earns them the right to be an infidel among academics. No, I thought, I will not have it!

You see, English and the social sciences classes should not be graded like a math or science exam, where there is only 1 right answer, but should examine each paper individually, not comparing it to the likes of, for example teacher’s opinions of the perfect essay, and should give the students marks for their originality and creativity as well as content. Grading students according to a mark-scheme is not only the reason we currently live in such a competitive society, with each student vying to best meet the teacher’s ‘standards’ and be the best at doing what others want, but also dangerous. Why? Firstly because it is encouraging young impressionable humans to be the same, act the same, and mimic the actions of the teacher’s idea of ‘perfect students’. Additionally, if we all grow up by completing our assignments and behaving according to a certain mark-scheme, we may develop a dependence on it, on that paper we cling for which we think is the determinant of whether we are perfect or not, like an addiction to the drug of succeeding, as we perceive an A or A+ to be the definition of academic success. It’s not. Only in the two decades or so of our lives do grades matter, and after University it’s actions that count, not some high school transcript. However, what does one do if they’ve spent their entire lives conforming to the standards of what they consider to be ‘desirable’ behaviour and actions?  Well, as was said before, most of them adhere to the mark-schemes of their school years, gripping it tightly to themselves until they buy into the greatest danger of all: The Mark-Scheme of life.

The Mark-Scheme of Life is a stringent set of goals that are considered universally standard to the ‘desirable’ life. Some of these are getting married, settling down, getting a job, retiring, etc. People live their lives subconsciously ticking all the boxes of the grand Mark-Scheme of Life, so that when they die they may say that their life was ‘complete,’ as if everything they ever did was an assignment to be handed in and graded by fate. A standard, ordinary life with no real identity except for trying to be like everyone else, going through the motions of living which are ‘expected of us.’ That is the path that having mark-schemes sets us on, the path teachers desire us to take.

However, there are those of us who wish to live outside the world of ‘expectations,’ who dare to be unique and pursue lives considered ‘undesirable’ to others. That is the world I wish to live in, a world with no boundaries one must be between to succeed, no boxes one must tick off as they live. Maybe on the deathbeds at the end of our unique lives, others won’t consider these unorthodox pursuits such as those of the artistic kind to make us complete, but we sure will. That is where I wish to conclude my little rant against Mr. Baines. Yes, you may grade me down, you may point out my faults, but this is my assignment, my choices, my actions, and my life. They, just like I, are not subject to your mark-scheme or any other like it, even the Mark-Scheme of Life.