At some points during our Schooling early lives, we either experienced a double promotion, a demotion or a repeat. If we did not, we often heard stories of peers who got one because these topics always featured in school children’s discussions.
Double Promotions: Children got promoted by two classes when they performed far better than the rest and could compete favorably with pupils in the higher classes when put to test. A teacher’s way of distinguishing such special children was to recommend a double promotion, these calls were always honoured after proper Comparisons, scrutinization and re-scrutinization of results.
Demotion: Children got demoted after repeating a class severally. At most twice. It clearly meant the former class standards were too high for the child to comprehend because he lacked the basic basis. This is not a punishment and it is usually done to help the child intellectually.
Repeat: A child failed the core subjects, he was made to repeat the class. His classmates progresses while he stays back to master his present class before moving over to the next. Children have performed better because they have an advantage over others. Not always the case because as described in ‘Demotion’ they still fail to pick up.
The Big Question is, How much positive impact has a repeat, demotion or a double promotion made?
Making the child better is an overall adult thought. How these kids absorb sitting back while other classmates progress is where my emphasis lie. This a child’s concept evenly decided by adults.
Using Scenarios to question the validity of their positive impact:
1. Bullied as a result of age difference: School and age go together. If you put an underaged among overaged, there is every possibility the child will be intimidated and bullied. How about training an intellectually sound kid who can not speak in public? This is a danger trait of double promotions. It requires a special child to survive this.
2. Seen as Failure: A child who repeats will be seen as a failure. He is usually called names depicting failure. It is enough to make a child lose interest in going to school. When at school, lacks the zeal to learn something new.
3. Outgrown: The feeling that he is bigger than everyone in the class, hence called overgrown. Or in my Igbo language called ‘Mamaloolo’ ‘Papaloolo’. Quite demoralizing.
4. Complex: Inferiority sets in. The big guy can no longer say a word in class before he gets laughed at. Stemming from the fact that his unintelligence has been bared before him and others. He feels everyone is better than himself.
From my perspective, Its negative impact outweighs the positive impact. If a child is not doing well academically, then there are other innate technical talents yet to be recognised by having him sit in class with other children.
Give the child a special attention. Study him closely.
If other kids are learning 6 hours increase his to 9 hours and watch him improve.
Enrol him into a special talent harnessing school.
Teach the child things he can do with his hands.
If he is doing so well, leave him to have a good run with his mates. He can even motivate and teach them.
Demoting or making him repeat can depress him so much that he sees himself as ‘I can not do anything’. The risk is that even with his hands, he is going to feel lazy and ‘ICANNOTDO’ too.
Get a child to learn other skills. Not quoting the words or making reference to the lives of Men like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill gates yet I can not rule out their stories.
I believe in stay educated and learn a skill.
What skill can you boast of?…Check tomorrow