A third-grade teacher/student! Does it speak of her quality or designation?

Question

Whilst we all know that grade also refers to the intensity/degree of quality, I got this doubt looking at Jim's comment here. Although, looking at his sentence, it's clear that he's talking about the teacher teaching students of Grade IV.

In India, standard is more common as compared to grade for schooling. And it does not create ambiguity because if the thing is of top quality, it's of standard quality but then if it is not, it's substandard and not second, third or fourth standard. If you put adjective first, second, third... and the like to the word standard, it always refers to schooling.

The ambiguity rises when we use grade. If I call someone A third grade often in anger or sarcasm as in here - it simply means **dumb, manner-less, awkward* person. So, if I want to refer to some teacher/pupil as a wicked person with third grade quality, how do I do it?

Answer 1

In the US, each year of schooling is known as a grade. Thus a Third-Grade Teacher is one who teaches children in their third year.

It is not a term of abuse.

In other countries there are equivalents used such as third form or simply third year.

As others have said, a derogatory term would be third rate. A badly performing teacher could conceivably be described as a third rate third grade teacher. A description which might be seen as having some poetic beauty.

Answer 2

If you want to insult someone, the proper term is third-rate, which typically appears in attributive position before a noun. In contrast, a third grade teacher teaches a class of third graders.

"Third grade" as an insult is non-standard. If it'll be understood where you are, you can of course go ahead and use it, but don't assume it'll be universally understood.