In the process of grade retention, a teacher believes that it would be good for a student to be kept in the same grade for 2 consecutive years. However, this decision is not an easy one and should not be taken lightly. For the parents, the decision is even an agonizing one, where it is can be difficult for them to entirely support it. This is why it is important that it should be made after collecting sufficient amount of evidence from multiple meetings with parents. To come up with a decision ourselves on this matter, let us take a look at its pros and cons.
List of Pros of Grade Retention
1. It will remove a child from an unfavorable situation.
When children are in a grade level that they cannot handle, it might cause them to feel inferior. Also, they will be more likely to have improved self-worth when required to repeat a grade to prevent them from an educational situation that they are not prepared for. Poor performance can have a negative impact on children and grade retention can take children out of this bad situation, putting them in a position where they can succeed.
2. It would stop a bad schooling cycle of a student.
Normally, children who are not able to handle their existing coursework will surely not be able handle assignments in the next grade level, which entails that their poor performance would only continue or even worsen with time. Now, grade retention is believed to be the best way to stop this cycle and prevent students from being in grade levels that they cannot handle.
3. It can prevent other students being held back by underperforming ones.
When children are allowed to proceed to a grade level that they are not ready for, it could result to other students being held back. It is very important to consider the needs of other children are met, and this is where grade retention is really helpful.
List of Cons of Grade Retention
1. It would remove children from their peers.
With grade retention, children who are held back a grade would be put in classes where peers are not of the same age. According to research, children in classrooms with peers of the same age are performing much better, which means that this policy can cause children to experience worsening performance within the classroom.
2. It will see an add-up of slow learners.
There is a worry on the real risk of holding back slow-learners, which can result in some classrooms and grade levels being filled with them. This would mean that more teachers in specific grades will be needed to meet the needs of these children.
3. It can contribute to taxpayer burdens.
It is also important to note that taxpayers are burdened with paying for the extra coursework for retained students. With more children being required to repeat, there will be more fees required by taxpayers.
Although research has confirmed that grade retention can be a negative intervention, there are also findings that children are also performing better with it. Based on the pros and cons listed above, what do you think?
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
