In the pursuit of Latin honors

By Sensei Adorador

Every year, I encounter a recurring plea from students striving for Latin honors: the desperate attempt to negotiate their grades to proudly walk across the graduation stage adorned with the coveted distinction.

I am consistently astounded by the audacity of these students who are willing to compromise their academic integrity for the sake of parental approval and validation from their peers on social media.

This predicament has arisen due to the rise of social media platforms, which have become breeding grounds for narcissism. Many underperforming students demand grades that align with the requirements for Latin honors, driven by a thirst for recognition and admiration.

As I scroll through my Facebook news feed, I am bombarded with numerous posts appreciating graduation pictures, often culminating in captions proudly declaring “cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude.”

The number of likes these posts receive serves as a direct injection of ego-boosting shots into their personalities.

However, it would be unfair to solely blame these students for their behavior. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the immense familial pressure they might be facing.

The weight of social expectations can often lead to feelings of depression and, in extreme cases, even suicide. Tragically, I have heard countless stories of individuals taking their own lives due to the absence of a laude award during graduation.

The question that arises is what lies at the root of this distressing phenomenon.

The Significance of Latin Honor

In today’s competitive job market, possessing a Latin honor can make a significant difference and provide individuals with a competitive edge. With the scarcity of employment opportunities, having a Latin honor becomes an added feather in one’s cap.

Many employers place strong emphasis on a candidate’s curriculum vitae, and attaining a Latin honor signifies a commendable level of dedication and hard work throughout college. As a result, it positions individuals as valuable assets to companies and institutions.

Employers often prioritize candidates with Latin honors over others because such distinctions enhance an employee’s profile. They believe that skills can be acquired and developed easily if individuals have demonstrated their commitment and excellence by earning Latin honors. This trend underscores the fierce competitiveness of the job market.

Similarly, in the field of education, teachers who have received Latin honors often enjoy preferential treatment, particularly in private schools. Hiring teachers with Latin honors enhances the school’s academic standing and serves as a marketing strategy.

Schools can improve their reputation by employing highly competitive educators and fostering a more motivated and driven learning environment.

What Went Wrong?

Over the years, there has been a surge in the number of Latin honors awarded, particularly among graduates who experienced the pandemic during their schooling. This issue extends beyond higher education, as even within the Department of Education, students have become more complacent, and teachers have resorted to grade inflation to avoid upsetting students, parents, and superiors.

While not all students engage in this behavior, some manipulate requirements and grades by exploiting the “mental health card.”

Instances have occurred where students claim signal problems while being preoccupied with watching K-dramas or skipping class. During this time, grades were primarily based on completing requirements, with little emphasis on quality due to the challenges of pandemic education. Consequently, there were calls for grade suspensions, such as implementing pass/fail systems, to compensate for students’ efforts.

Unfortunately, these measures were not implemented, resulting in lax grading, grade inflation for Latin honors, and even honors within the Department of Education.

I recall a conversation with a junior in college who shared that they did not have sufficient time to thoroughly assess graduating students’ output because their superiors pressured them to pass. This led to the manipulation of grades to achieve desirable outcomes. The higher the grade, the less likely parents and teachers would voice complaints.

The Need to Abolish Grades

When Fr. Rogelio Alarcon, O.P conceived the idea of a non-graded institution where students would not fear failure, the Dominican order established the Angelicum School. It became an institution that prioritized the mastery of skills over grades.

This concept faced resistance, but I firmly believe that Fr. Alarcon was ahead of his time. This should serve as the foundation of our education system.

Placing ultimate focus on the numerical equivalence of one’s worth has become problematic in employment.

Many academically strong individuals underperform due to their inability to apply the skills they learned during their tertiary education. Some become disoriented because the real world demands practicality more than theoretical frameworks, particularly in the industry.

I recall a policy in higher education where grade retention was enforced for board courses. Students needed to achieve a certain grade threshold to proceed to the next semester. While the idea was commendable, the execution was appalling.

Higher-ups would intervene if they noticed that only a few students would graduate with Latin honors, pressuring instructors to allow more students to meet the retention policy. This rendered the policy self-defeating, as it could only be achieved through favors or academic brute force, persecuting instructors who prioritize quality. Thus, grades symbolize an academic cancer that further deteriorates the system.

Is Academic Quality Connected to Grades?

The role of academicians is to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment.

In neoliberal education, Latin honors have become a form of human capital investment. Consequently, many graduates make deals with the devil to acquire such titles for the sake of honor, social acceptance, and competitiveness among their peers. It may be prematurely concluded that academic quality is directly linked to the number of Latin honors, but based on my observations, this is not the case.

Quality stems from deserving students who diligently work to earn the attached Latin honor. It is somewhat surprising that academia emphasizes research, allowing teachers to prioritize their own advancements over delivering quality education and producing a significant number of students with honors.

This obscures the fact that many teachers neglect teaching and instead focus more on personal achievements rather than their students’ academic growth.

Is the quality of education in a state of emergency? Are state universities, colleges, and even the Department of Education truly delivering quality education? If there is one thing my mentor taught me, it is to never sacrifice quality for quantity. A few deserving honor students surpass the majority who utilize shortcuts like chatbots to attain honors.