ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR III
For a very long time, I was on the firm belief that letting a pupil pass to the next grade level without the learning mastery of the basics like Reading, Writing and Mathematics or Arithmetic is the biggest blunder of our educational system .The failing grade is also a way to punish the teacher as it would require the teacher to conduct remedial and summer classes for the failing students. In a nutshell it’s a double whammy of sorts.
Giving failing grades to elementary school pupils who cannot read, write, and do math is a complex issue. On one hand, failing grades can serve as a clear signal to the students, parents, and educators that the child is struggling and may need additional support1. It can be a wake-up call that prompts action, such as providing extra tutoring, personalized attention, or special education services2.
On the other hand, research suggests that failing grades, especially at a young age, can have a negative impact on a student’s self-concept, motivation, and attitude towards school. It can lead to feelings of shame and frustration, which may result in a student disengaging from the learning process altogether.
Still on the whole breadth of educational realities, we are failing and failing behind most countries even those which are ravaged by civil war and ethnic cleansing, we are behind them in terms of International Standardized tests.
Which leads me to ask, are we doing this right? Are we doing the right things?
To me what happens in the childhood education goes beyond that event. Every Filipino had romanticized the No Child Left Behind Policy that Children are being left behind by failing to master the basics and yet we are not giving them the chance to rectify and pass because w even if mastery was not yet met, we give them passing grades.
In our efforts to prohibit the mental anguish of failure , we are reinforcing mediocrity.
Mass promotion may not be a standard policy by the Education Department but the reality is it is a practice widely practiced. And that to me is one of the sure evil seed that harms learning and breeds complacency one reason we are way, way behind our neighbors.
