Good questions. I don’t know whether there was grade inflation prior to the 20th century; perhaps there was.
Of course there are bodies that oversee the universities to different degrees. However, my guess is that such systems can never extert the same pressure at the universities as completely independent grading can. Consider the driving school parallell again and compare a system where driving schools would be able to issue licenses, but where they were checked now and then by government bodies with the present system where the licenses are issued by the government. It seems to me obvious that if those checks weren’t extremely stringent—something that most checks of universities certainly aren’t (many of them are also a bit arbitrary, something there’s been a big discussion on in Sweden, where I come from) - the former system would lead to a lowering of standards. It would also extert less pressure on low standard driving schools, who in the present system are either forced to improve or are out-competed.
In some areas you do have independent tests already, which is brilliant. That’s exactly what I’m advocating. However, usually you don’t. Employers can influence university degrees in some areas, as you say, but in most areas this influence is very limited (and resented by professors and left-wing parties and student organizations).
I don’t have more data at the moment. What kind of data is it that you want? I don’t think I just stated my opinion, though—I offered reasons for my views. Besides, they are widely shared—the point about perverse incentives seems really obvious actually.
Good questions. I don’t know whether there was grade inflation prior to the 20th century; perhaps there was.
Of course there are bodies that oversee the universities to different degrees. However, my guess is that such systems can never extert the same pressure at the universities as completely independent grading can. Consider the driving school parallell again and compare a system where driving schools would be able to issue licenses, but where they were checked now and then by government bodies with the present system where the licenses are issued by the government. It seems to me obvious that if those checks weren’t extremely stringent—something that most checks of universities certainly aren’t (many of them are also a bit arbitrary, something there’s been a big discussion on in Sweden, where I come from) - the former system would lead to a lowering of standards. It would also extert less pressure on low standard driving schools, who in the present system are either forced to improve or are out-competed.
In some areas you do have independent tests already, which is brilliant. That’s exactly what I’m advocating. However, usually you don’t. Employers can influence university degrees in some areas, as you say, but in most areas this influence is very limited (and resented by professors and left-wing parties and student organizations).
I don’t have more data at the moment. What kind of data is it that you want? I don’t think I just stated my opinion, though—I offered reasons for my views. Besides, they are widely shared—the point about perverse incentives seems really obvious actually.