DS doesn't want his test results read out in class by the teacher - can he ask the teacher not to?

I agree with domino. I would like to think I've built good relationships with my students so they know they can tell me they dont want it read out. i also look at each child as i do it so even with just a small shake of their head i know if they want me to or not. I also do it rarely but sometimes if its a quick test its just easier. full blown essays always fully handed back and its their choice to share.

It's not a regular thing- probably 3 times a year. Other pieces are given back individually with the marks on. This is their current grade so other option would be to have 33 children lining up to get it. It's normally the high achieving ones who avoid it actually.

Domino, I wonder how easy it is to be the only one who asks to not have their marks read out? Is that really going to help the child who's regularly getting the lower marks - not through laziness, as someone has mentioned - just because they're not the cleverest ?

I do the same as mini me- let anyone who wants to come and get theirs on their own. The only time I read them all out was for a gcse exam when every child got an a*- b except 4 lazy boys who still got Cs . All were on or above target too so made for a fab atmosphere.

Are they still doing this in schools? I hated it when I was in school (and we won't discuss how many years ago that was!!). Those that did well got crap either for just doing well, accused of being a teacher's pet, or destroying the grade curve. Those that didn't do well felt humiliated. There were always a few that had that "race for the bottom" thing going on as well. Dreadful practice.

This was standard at my secondary school. It motivated us all to work hard and get the best possible marks.

It's also hard to have marks read out when you're doing well - I used to hate it. The pressure was so intense to see whether you were still top or whether you'd made a mistake, everyone laughing if you had, everyone thinking you're a swot regardless, just horrible - doing really well in school is not actually something that is well regarded. And I'm sure the ones who didn't do so well also hated it. I feel sorry for him.

Ds is year 6 and the teacher reads the top scores out in tests.

absolutely not over sensitive. I do read results out sometimes just for speed so not taking ages giving papers out and back in again but I always say tell me if you dont want me to read it out and then I go to them separately or they come to the front to see it.

At ds2's school the maths teacher (top maths set of accelerated stream so all v bright) tells the class the names of the children who got 100% in tests which seems fair enough - maybe your son could suggest a compromise like that?

I agree with phdlife. I would object, too. But I am also American, and this type of disclosure would likely be against the law in most situations in the US under federal and state laws protecting the confidentiality of student records.

I do this sometimes with y11.

we have a spreadsheet which calculates UMS marks to work out grades, & I'll often have this on the whiteboard & update it 'live' (without saving it) to motivate the kids - 'so, Jack, let's say you just got another 5 marks on the exam paper - so we'll change your November mock 46 to a 51 - that & your new Controlled Assessment - 12 instead of 9 - would take you to - hang on 212 UMS, so that would be your B!'

The usual response is a clamour of 'do me, miss, how many do I need?'

But if I were asked not to, whether directly by the student or by a parent, I'd respect that - it'd be possible to either 'hide' individual students or just show the ones who did want to see one at a time.

It's a balance - no-one wants to upset kids who've worked hard & done their best, but still not done well, but competition is also a powerful incentive!

I'd want him/you to let me know if it was bothering your ds & would much rather find a solution than have him distressed.

I would contact the teacher directly yourself if possible. I think as a parent you can make it clear that it is important enough that your son has mentioned it to you. If you contact him directly or head of science otherwise it can be kept low key so avoid the teacher feeling the need to defend his position and continue the practice or worse make it into a big thing which would embarrass your son more. Teacher can learn that it has an adverse effect on some pupils without losing face. Teachers don't always see the effect of their actions. He might think he's introducing a bit of useful competition or possibly not really thinking at all.

I think if you have a contact through the school I'd raise it as a general point re the ethos of the school because I'm sure it's not just an issue for your son. Seems like really poor practice to me.

Different perspective from me,I would not do anything, I'd just reassure my son that even though his test score was not what he wanted to achieve, having it read out to the rest of the class, really is not the end of the world. He is 16 and approaching adulthood where lots of things happen that we dislike, make us feel uncomfortable, even cause us great anxiety, we just learn to handle them.

We do it as standard practice in my school. All kids know what each other's grades are as part of peer assessment and they pick targets for each other in order to reach the next level. However if a child told me they were worried about their grades being shared I would take that on board. He really needs to tell the teAcher himself

I think he should have a word with the teacher in advance if he feels he can.

Is he worried about what his classmates will say? Or just the horribleness of hearing it himself?

Is it a state school? Because you normally have to pay for this sort of ritual humiliation.

My ds's maths teacher puts their scores up on the board- but it is a very small, very competitive top set, and a) there's not much difference between top and bottom, and b) it works incredibly well in this particular group. Not acceptable generally IMHO.

Because if his age I think it best to let him tackle the teacher. Time to then complain yourself if it is turned down.