A teacher's grading power

IN the Philippines, perhaps one of the two most important or feared powers of the teacher is the power of giving grades to students, the other power being the power to discipline or the character formation of students. Grading provides students with assessment and feedback on their learning progress, which includes areas for improvement. Grading is also important for teachers as it provides them with information that they can use to improve their teaching styles and methods in class.

In the case of Regino v. Pangasinan College of Science and Technology, the Supreme Court had the opportunity to state that education is not a measurable commodity. It is not possible to determine who is "better educated" than another. Thus, a student's grades are an accepted approximation of what would otherwise be an intangible product of countless hours of study. The importance of grades cannot be discounted in a setting where education is generally the gate pass to employment opportunities and a better life; such grades are often the means by which a prospective employer measures whether a job applicant has acquired the necessary tools or skills for a particular profession or trade.