Held Back or Pushed Forward
Should students be promoted to the next grade although they are not prepared?
Many teachers believe that students are performing on the wrong grade level, and the school system continues to move the students to the next grade.
Students often do not succeed in their tests, quizzes, homework, and even assignments because they tend to not focus and forget everything they have learned once they go home.
“The school system uses the excuse no child left behind, but I’d rather a child be held back instead of getting put ahead because once they get put ahead, the work becomes even harder for them to understand,” says Renaja Rolle, sophomore.
Many say that it is the child’s responsibility to maintain their work, get good grades, and overall do well in school.
What people do not know is that some teachers are not willing to help the student and will make them fail. Every child learns at a different pace, and it can be more challenging for others than the average child.
It is stated that 9.6% of students 6-11, and 13.6% of students 12-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. This states that there are many students who have more difficulty in learning.
Children with ADHD or dyslexia are guaranteed to receive accommodation and more, but there are also students who do not receive either and are stuck in classes that move at a faster pace causing them to be confused and not get the proper help or attention.
“Students being held back shouldn’t be allowed” says Kimoralyn Jackson, junior “but they also shouldn’t be pushed to the next grade because they will get put in even harder classes and that causes a lot of stress.”
“Students’ education has gone far down, and maybe homeschooling is a better option for them.” says Khamani Woodsdon.
What is homeschooling, you may ask?
Homeschool is a form of learning. Instead of sending a child to public school, the child will learn at home from a parent or family member. There are many reasons as to why a parent would rather homeschool their child such as safety reasons, negativity, peer pressure, and most importantly their learning skills.
Between the months of March to early May of 2022, 5.22% students of all ages were homeschooled. Research states that there was data collected from the school years 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 showing that homeschool enrollment rose by 30%.
In conclusion, students should not be promoted to the next grade if they are not capable of learning new things in class if they were not able to catch on to what was taught the previous year.
