Teachers should not give half or quarter-credit on late assignments for various reasons.
First off, many students would not take deadlines as seriously if it were easy for them to receive credit regardless. In the real world, there is no such thing as half-credit or a late assignment. When you are asked to complete a task of any sort in the workforce, you are obligated to finish that task in the appropriate amount of time given.
The whole purpose of college is to prepare students for life outside of school. If teachers are willing to give partial credit for various assignments, it would give students the impression that they can turn in an assignment at any given time. Therefore, many students would start to complete late homework thinking that it would not have much affect on their overall grade. This would make it more difficult for the student and professor to keep track of the students progress.
In addition, every teacher has a different ways of grading. Allowing a student to turn in a late assignment could lead to confusion with another class. If both teachers have a different policy, this can throw off the student and lead to an unwanted zero on a homework assignment. Overall, what may seem like a favor can ultimately confuse and even damage one’s grade in a different class.
No matter what, teachers want the best for their students. Allowing them to turn in late homework for partial credit may seem like a good idea on the surface, but it won’t teach them the importance of punctuality and responsibility in a work environment. Ultimately, what may seem like a small gesture may do more damage than good in the long run.
On the other hand, there are instances where we do face emergency situations. We get sick, car accidents happen, and face numerous other impediments in day-to-day life. In the workplace, these may be excused depending on the situation. The important issue is that students do not take advantage of this idea. Overall, giving half or quarter-credit should only be permitted under real emergency circumstances.
So next time your teacher tells you that he or she won’t accept your late work without an excuse, smile and say thank you. She or he is ultimately doing you a favor and teaching you how to survive in the real world.
