The purpose is a grading system that weighs students' strengths and weaknesses in grading in a more balanced way.
The grades should thus be more accurate according to the knowledge the student possesses at the final assessment.
"The need to correct the shortcomings in the current grading system is known and proposals for subject grades and compensatory elements in grading are in demand by both teachers and students," the government writes.
The bill means that subject grades must replace course grades in upper secondary school, upper secondary special school and in municipal adult education (municipal adult) at upper secondary level and municipal adult education as special education at upper secondary level.
The difference is that subject grades provide an overall assessment of the knowledge in a subject, while the course grades reflect the efforts in a specific course - that is, in a part of the subject.
This also means that the current course design is removed, and that grades must be determined with the help of grade criteria instead of with the help of knowledge requirements in all school forms and year groups where grades are set.
Coming into force this summer
Today, students receive grades in many different modules.
The system has been criticized as occasional poorer performance weighs heavily on students' grades, which in turn has a negative effect on learning.
Students experience that they are punished for their worst performance but not rewarded for merit, which according to the bill leads to "students who performed worse in an individual part have weak incentives to work hard" when it comes to other parts.
“With course grades, too much focus ends up on grading instead of teaching and learning.
Subject grades contribute to a holistic view of the teaching of the subject and more focus on the student's knowledge development, ”the government writes.
The changes are generally proposed to enter into force in July 2022, but with regard to the introduction of subject grades, it is proposed that the first students begin their studies in the new system only in the autumn of 2025.