With the advance of artificial intelligence (AI), the Bavarian Teachers' Association (BLLV) is calling for a reform of the classical grading system – and quickly. "I believe that the rapid development of AI does not allow us to slowly evolve performance evaluation. We have to realize that our performance system is old school," said BLLV President Simone Fleischmann. And she added: "We have to stop seeing only the note as the only blissful thing. In the private sector, everyone takes assessments. What's in it for me to have a five?"
On Friday, it became known that some Hamburg students are suspected of cheating in exams for the Abitur with the help of programs with artificial intelligence and using ChatGPT. In Bavaria, according to the Ministry of Education, there are no such suspected cases in school leaving examinations.
"The way our school system works, the logic of the system, is now reaching its limits. This has to do with the fact that we simply stood still," criticized Fleischmann. "We still want to select, sort out, give grades. But in the future, we will have to assess the processes and not the result." This is possible with performance appraisals or portfolios. "There are also achievements that, in addition to a high school diploma, make a person."
"Dealing with the source of information is crucial"
Schools should not ignore social developments, but must embrace and accept them: "We do not want to signal that we are negating developments in this promising area."
But schools would have to react to this, for example by teaching media literacy and a different evaluation system, Fleischmann emphasized. "Dealing with the source of information is crucial." It is necessary to "rethink schools" and the rapid technical development could - so she hopes - lead to the fact that the sluggish education system could change much faster - "and not only in 20 years".
"Need notes"
Bavaria's Minister of Culture is skeptical about the demand. Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) does not want to do without grades in school in the future. "I believe that we need grades and that many students want grades too. You need proof of achievement to know for yourself how you stand in the individual subjects," he told the German Press Agency on Saturday.
"Things are mixed together that are not directly related," Piazolo said. "In Hamburg, a few students cheat at the Abitur and immediately the decades-old system of grades is called into question. Cheating in exams has always existed, not just since the introduction of AI."
The Association of German Secondary School Teachers (VDR) also does not think much of the demand: "Grades and AI are mutually exclusive? The logic behind this supposed statement is not clear," said VDR Federal Chairman Jürgen Böhm. "Just because digital devices were not checked during exams in Hamburg, should grades be abolished? At least since the graphing calculator, it has been the responsibility of ministries and ultimately teachers to take special precautions during examinations."
In order to master the new digital possibilities, "to penetrate AI with all its dangers and great options", "knowledge and skills and thus competencies are required", said Böhm. Basic skills such as language comprehension and mastery, mathematical skills and logical thinking are not dependent on AI or digital media. "It's about basic cultural techniques that you have to master." Böhm emphasized: "Differentiation and clear performance requirements are the key to educational success – then it doesn't matter whether this educational success was achieved analogously, digitally or with AI."