By Stephen Geller
A topic of debate that school administrations are forced to deal with is whether or not students deserve the ability to earn exemptions from final exams. Many schools allow students to earn exemptions from final exams if certain standards are met; however, some schools do not allow any exemptions at all. Typically, if schools do allow exemptions, students have to achieve a certain g.p.a. in a class to qualify for an exemption from that particular class’s exam. If a student doesn’t achieve the specific year average in a class, the student must take the final exam. On, the other side of the argument, many school administrations view exemptions as inequitable and unfair. These school administrations don’t allow exemptions at all because they feel it’s wrong that some students have to take exams and some don’t have to, regardless of how well a student does in the class. Both sides of the argument are legitimate, but it’s more reasonable for schools to allow exemptions from exams.
Allowing students to earn exemptions from exams is a great way of rewarding students for academic excellence. If a student works extremely hard all year and receives a very high grade, the student should be rewarded for this achievement. School is extremely difficult now a days and it’s wrong to overlook an outstanding performance by a student in a class. Schools can acknowledge students’ great academic achievements with exemptions from final exams.
Exemptions from exams also can motivate students to do better in school all year. This is because students will have something to work harder for. If students have the opportunity to earn exemptions from final exams, they will have more desire to earn better grades to avoid taking a long and stressful final exam. When schools do not offer exemptions, students don’t really get the extra motivation or boost to do exceptionally well in a class because there’s no compensation for the efforts that they put in. Students will do better in school if they have the ability to earn exemptions from final exams.
Schools definitely should offer exemptions from final exams to students. Exemptions are good rewards for students who do exceptionally well in their classes at school. Students are much more motivated to do well in school if exemptions are offered to them. The terms of how a student can earn an exemption from a class’s final exam may vary from school to school, but no matter what, exemptions from final exams must be offered to students at every school.
