In this week’s Pope Center Clarion Call, George Leef explains why grade inflation is such a pernicious force in higher education. The reasons for the increasingly easy “A” are based on the self-interest of universities (appeasing students to keep the flow of tuition and tax dollars steady). But the harm is twofold. First, employers no longer have a reliable way to differentiate graduates. Second, and most important, writes Leef, students are led to believe they’re more talented than they really are. “Dishonest grading from professors is as bad as dishonest health reports from doctors who just want their patients to feel happy would be. The truth may be unpleasant, but it’s better to know it than to live in blissful ignorance.”