As educators with extensive experience in elementary and secondary schools, we have witnessed with dismay the issue of grade inflation first hand. We are raising a generation of literate illiterates.

Grade inflation is a product of social changes and the technological revolution. Fixing it will not be simple, nor easy.

The first issue is extra curricular activities outside of school. Even before the introduction of technology, students were becoming overinvolved in extra curricular activities (swimming, dance, soccer, hockey etc.) leading to a decline in work habits (homework, reading textbooks, etc.).

A related part of this issue is changes to students’ employment habits. Students have always worked outside of school hours, but what changed was the amount of time worked and their working age. Their work time has increased significantly in our current society, having a deleterious impact on student learning. Many students are working full-time in a part-time job.