REPEATING A SCHOOL YEAR:
A difficult decision

When a student is struggling with their school work the possibility of repeating a year level is sometimes suggested by parents and/or teachers.

Some students will be experiencing general difficulties not only with learning but also with socialisation and general adjustment. Other students will not only have discernible difficulties but also some obvious strengths.

Obviously educators have a responsibility to provide students with an appropriate program, meeting the student's needs with a flexible and broad based classroom program, adjusted to the individual student's needs. Special education support and individualisation of the classroom program should be able to cater for the majority of student's needs, without the student being required to move out of their established social group in order to find a suitable program. However it is sometimes felt that repeating a year level is one way of meeting an individual student's needs.

The decision is seldom an easy one as in most situations there are things to be said in favour of keeping the student with their age peers, and advantages in arranging for them to repeat a year level. Often the decision is hard because the arguments for either course of action are quite evenly balanced.

Anxiety about the student not coping if they advance to the next year level is counterbalanced by fears that having to repeat a year will damage their self esteem. The fact that the child is physically small for their age might be cancelled out by the fact that if they repeat, they will be in the same year level as a younger sibling. One parent may feel that by repeating a year the child will be helped, the other parent may feel that they will be held back in their development

There are some important factors that are entirely dependent on the school, its policies and its structure. The school or the educational authority that administers the school may have a clear policy about the basis on which students are permitted to repeat a year and obviously this will have a direct impact on the decision. It can be the case that the suggestion that a child repeats a year is based solely on the premise that it would be more convenient for the school, for example, in avoiding the need to provide a suitable individual remedial program.

Sometimes the decision will be biased by the particular mix of adults and students in the student's school. For instance the deciding factor in whether a student repeats a year level or not might be the relative merits of the two teachers who could be taking the student's class. The style and skills base of the child's teacher is often of critical importance. It is always important to make the best match possible between the child's needs and the expertise and personalities of the available teachers.

Although every group of students has a wide range of individuals, sometimes a particular year level might have a very distinct characteristic, especially in small schools where there are only a small number of students. Variations might include a year group with an unusually high number of unsettled students, or an exceptionally large percentage of high achievers. This too can have a bearing on the decision of which year level will best suit an individual student.

Repeating a year level should never be used as a cheap form of special education. 'More of the same' is seldom an appropriate response to a child's learning difficulties. It is critically important to understand why the student is experiencing learning difficulties and implement an appropriate program to address those difficulties. For a student to benefit from repeating a year it is essential that an appropriate program of support and ongoing assessment should also be implemented to ensure that the child does not simply 'mark time' and go through the same, unsuccessful process that occurred when they did that year level previously. It is by no means unknown for a student to make no measured progress in the year that they repeat.

Students with severe and widespread difficulties often need a highly individualised program and intensive special education support. If they repeat a year level they may still need virtually identical levels of assistance and modification of the classroom program. In this situation repeating a year level should only be considered on the basis of social and developmental needs, not on curriculum issues.

Students with significant specific difficulties can sometimes be very shocked and humiliated to find that even though they are repeating a year, they are still struggling academically and are still at the 'bottom of the class'. If the student is aware that they are being outperformed by children a year younger than themselves then any hoped for boosts to confidence from repeating a year will not materialise.

In some schools students are sent to a younger students' classroom for a brief spell as a punishment for poor behaviour. Some teachers or parents may threaten being 'kept down' made as a way of addressing poor school work or behaviour.

If repeating a year is seen as a punishment or a deliberate humiliation then it is that much harder to persuade the student that it is a worthwhile opportunity when it is considered necessary.

'Yes' the student should repeat the year

The following factors may make it sensible for a student to repeat a year.

• The reasons for the student's difficulties are well understood and appropriate arrangements are in place to deal with those difficulties in the repeated year level class

• The student is chronologically young for their current year level

• The student is immature for their chronological age and there are plans to help develop maturity during the repeated year

• The student has had less schooling than current classmates (because of ill health, moving from a different school district, being accelerated into a higher grade earlier on etc)

• The student will have the opportunity to gain academic confidence by being in a class where they can succeed with their school work (with support if necessary).

• The student will have the opportunity to gain social confidence by being in a class where they can succeed with friendships, leadership etc (with support if necessary)

• The younger year level is appropriate to meet the student's developmental and social needs, even though the student will still need a highly individualised program because of severe learning difficulties.

• The student will accept the need to repeat (although they may need some skilled adult support to do this)

• The school culture is supportive of students who repeat a year level

• The student generally socialises well with younger children

• The student has friends in the younger year level

• The student is physically immature and would merge in with the new age group easily

• The student is changing schools and will be repeating the year in the new school

• This should not happen- but it does! The teacher in the higher year level will be totally unsuitable for the student and no other options are available

'No' the student should not repeat the year

The following factors may make it unwise for a student to repeat a year.

• The student is one of the older students in their current year level

• The student socialises well with their current classmates and/or older students

• The student will be able to cope with the curriculum next year provided appropriate modifications are made and extra support given

• The student has specific difficulties (which may be severe), but can match or exceed the performance of their own age group in many other areas.

• The student is physically very mature

• The student would be very distressed by the social stigma of repeating a year level

• The school culture is negative towards students who repeat a year

• The student would see the repeated year as an unwarranted punishment

• The student would be prevented from taking part in an important 'rite of passage' such as graduating from one section of the school to another.

• This should not happen- but it does! The teacher in the repeated year level will be unable to meet the student's needs and no other options are available

What if the decision seems to be too hard?

• Remind the parents that you cannot make the decision for them

• Remind parents that whatever decision they make there will be some plusses and some minuses.

• Remind parents that the disadvantages created by either decision can usually be effectively managed- especially if the potential problems are anticipated ahead of time.

• Suggest that the parents follow their own intuition if there is too much confusion over the logical 'ifs' and 'buts'

Once the decision has been made to repeat a year level

• Ensure that a suitable in class support program is in place.

• Ensure that appropriate remedial support is in place.

• Ensure that the student's progress through the next [repeated] year is very carefully tracked.

• Make the best match possible between the student and available teachers.

• Give very careful consideration to the peer group that the student is placed in.

• Encourage parents to convey a positive and supportive attitude to the student about the decision that has been made.

• Ensure that the new teacher for the next school year is well acquainted with the student's difficulties before the school year begins.

• Ensure that any strengths that the student has are known about and developed during the repeated year.

• Deal with the issue openly and positively at school. Where possible the student should own the choice to repeat a year and the decision described to classmates as the student's own choice. Ben was invited to go into Mrs Bells' class next year and he has decided that he would like to do that.

If the decision is that the student will NOT repeat a year level

• Ensure that a suitable in class support program is in place such as an IEP (individualised education plan).

• Ensure that appropriate remedial support is in place.

• Ensure that the student's progress through the next year is very carefully tracked.

• Make the best match possible between the student and available teachers.

• Ensure that the new teacher for the next school year is well acquainted with the student's difficulties before the school year begins.

Glynis Hannell, 2006
Educator, speaker & psychologist