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Original poster

To think the US system if repeating grades is weird?

131 replies

llamajohn · 24/07/2024 10:02

Like you could repeat 1, 2 and 3 and be what? 12/13 in the 5th grade (peers would be 8-9) - how is that helpful to anyone?

OP posts:
CraftyNavySeal · 24/07/2024 10:18

It’s like that in a lot of countries. Repeating 1 year can be a good thing because it allows people to catch up instead of continually failing. People repeat years at sixth form all the time.

I don’t think you would be allowed to be 5 years behind though you would probably be sent to a remedial school at that point.

angryoldwoman · 24/07/2024 10:18

It’s better than our system - where a child can know nothing that was supposed to have been learnt that year but move on regardless. It’s how people end up with no qualifications.

Of course it’s down to cost. We don’t want people repeating years as we’d have to foot the bill and there probably wouldn’t be a space in the year below.

I think our system does nothing to encourage kids to achieve. You can skive/mess up most of the year. But you’ll go up anyway. Bizarre.

LuckysDadsHat · 24/07/2024 10:18

Honestly, I think it makes sense for NT children. How can they be expected to keep moving up year after year if they are struggling. It is also an incentive to work as hard as they can year after year. It is a low bench mark to be moved up (according to an American cousin) so it is not discriminating against lower ability children.

minipie · 24/07/2024 10:17

Used to be common in the UK too

Some might say it’s important for a child to learn the year 1 curriculum before moving on to harder stuff or they will just struggle throughout

Spacemountain · 24/07/2024 10:16

This was very common where I grew up (not USA). If a child was struggling and not meeting academic expectations they were held back and were able to reset and close academic gaps. I never knew of a child repeating more than one year, although it may have happened. I think it is a much better idea than pushing them along and having them struggle and grow to hate school.

Oopa · 24/07/2024 10:12

I mean if the child doesn't know enough to pass. It's on them. How will they survive the next year?

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