Making a student repeat a level at school has no benefit and in fact may do more harm, Australian research shows.Do we really serve students when we hold them back? When we back up and look at the purpose for holding students back is it to help them learn or is it punishemnt? Which of those serves the student? The education system? Our future?
I have had this conversation with educators and non-educators alike over the last several years, including my pre-teacher years. If we really want to see school improvement this is one area we need to adjust. Besides, if the current powers that be get their way these high risk kids will be all that's left in public education systems, we'll have to deal with them then.
Any thoughts?
4 comments:
I believe in holding some kids back, especially at the younger grades. And I have to tell you, we have had kids in our district in the past two or three years who have missed 40+ days of school (out of a 180 day year), not because of illness, but because of flat-out truancy. We do not enforce the rules we have, which are weak to start with. And we have passed these kids on to 9th grade, when they are not academically ready to go.
Nope, sorry. Hold them back.
Ok, hold them back; social promotion fails the student too. But does it serve the kid to put them back into the same classes in same school? It seems that this study is saying that it isn't academics that causes them to drop out but social and developmental factors, both things that progress with or without passing to the next grade. Is there a way to not "pass" them but give them a way to get the curriculum and then move on with their education with the goal of reintegrating them at their grade level after meeting the requirements to do so. Truant kids especially, often have things beyond their control that make them truant (especially primary and middle school who are not self transported). Shouldn't schools recognize that and make "accomodations" to get those students at least a basic education?
Passing them on gives opponents of public education the ability to gripe about illiterate seniors in high school. And they're right-- that's wrong.
I don't think "passing them" is a good idea. I don't think that forcing them to repeat something that didn't work the first time is a good idea. Students must get the skills but holding them back is not working then why continue to cram a square peg into a round hole?
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