Originally Posted by Anonymous
Studies, US pediatricians board, etc. (look up any study shared by the Times or Post) all have come out stating holding back students (whether for the old school reason that they flunked or the new school reason that they will have better chance to win) is bad for the kid. They actually adjust by dumbing themselves down including emotionally because they are not developing with their proper peer group-- they tend to do poorly adjusting in life, don't handle adversity well, expert preferred treatment, etc. Funny how what used to be a lower-class and minority-dominant issue (flunking) which was determined as bad for all involved is now an upper-class issue (redshirting) championed by prep schools and rich folks in the name of beating out others. YES, Johnny will be better at lacrosse from now through high school. But the experts say he will be worse off in life.


Yes that's all true, we called it getting left back, was for the [lacrosse] who couldn't cut it in their own age group. Left behind, while the capable kids got on with their lives. Beyond me why anyone would chose to do this to their kid. But then I have seen plenty of parents get their kids classified for special ed when they weren't in the public school system to get extra services like resource room, extra time etc. Me, I'd rather let my kid learn how to deal with real life challenges so he will know how to cope with being an adult one day.