Humans have an intrinsic value

A student studying in Russia said :

The highest score for most of the exams in Russia is 5.
If a student does not answer any question and returns back his exam paper blank, with no question answered, he gets 2 out of 5.

The story of this message is.......

In my first days at the University of Moscow, I did not know about this system and I was surprised and asked Dr. Theodor Medraev: "Is this fair that a student did not answer any question and you give him 2 out of 5? Why not give him a zero? Isn't that the right way ?"

He answered:

"How can we give a Human Being a zero? 

How can we give him a zero to someone who was getting up at 7 am to attend all the lectures?

How can we give him a zero since he got up in this cold weather, and used public transport and reached to do the exam in time, and tried to solve the questions?

How can we give him a zero for the nights he used to study and spent his money on pens and notebooks and bought a computer for studying? 

How can we give him a zero when he left all other lifestyles and pursued his studies? Here, my son, we do not give a zero to a student just because he did not know the answer.
We at least try to respect the fact that he is a Human Being, and he is having a brain, and he tried. 

Because this result which we give, is not just for the questions in the exam paper, it is also about showing appreciation and respect to the fact that he is a Human Being and deserves to have a score." 

Truly,  I cried and did not know how to respond.
There I knew my value as a Human Being.

Zeros can actually decrease motivation on students, and can quickly destroy them and make them stop caring about their studies altogether. 

Once a zero score has been put in the grade book, they need no longer care about that subject and they may assume that there’s nothing they can do about it.         

Today,  I tell this story as a message to our teachers, so as to change this shabby system of education which we have in our country

  Each & Every human person possesses an intrinsic value endowing him or her with certain inalienable rights

Intrinsic value - something is valuable in & for itself - the value of it is NOT derived from its utility but is independent of any use or function it may have in relation to something or someone else. The value of a human doesn't depend upon his job, status, Appearances, peoples' opinions of him/her, etc

An intrinsically valuable entity is said to be an " end-in-itself " NOT just a means to someone's ends 

Instrumental Vs Intrinsic

INSTRUMENTAL VALUE -- THE VALUE OF THINGS AS MEANS TO FURTHER SOME OTHER ENDS eg: The environment has value because it helps people to reach some end. Food • Shelter • Clothing • Medicine

INTRINSIC VALUE - THE VALUE OF THINGS AS ENDS IN THEMSELVES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE ALSO USEFUL AS MEANS TO OTHER ENDS

 A CERTAIN WILD PLANT MAY HAVE INSTRUMENTAL VALUE BECAUSE IT PROVIDES THE INGREDIENTS FOR SOME MEDICINE OR AS AN AESTHETIC OBJECT FOR HUMAN OBSERVERS. BUT IF THE PLANT ALSO HAS SOME VALUE IN ITSELF INDEPENDENTLY OF ITS PROSPECTS FOR FURTHERING SOME OTHER ENDS SUCH AS HUMAN HEALTH OR THE PLEASURE FROM AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE, THEN THE PLANT ALSO HAS INTRINSIC VALUE

Kant: 

People are Intrinsically Valuable; they should never be manipulated to achieve a goal.

Treating people as ends i.e those inherently valuable species corrects a problem of consequentialist systems i.e.: The happiness of the majority or some other end opens the door for exploiting people as in SLAVERY. 

Enslaving people constitutes the use of these individuals for the happiness of the majority. Kant opposes the concept of manipulating people as a means to some goal / personal agenda

Justice K.S. Puttaswamy  Vs Union of India (SC)(Constitution Bench)

Human dignity is a constitutional principle - At its core, human dignity contains three elements, namely, intrinsic value, autonomy, and community value - There cannot be an undue intrusion into the autonomy on the pretext of conferment of economic benefits.