Nursery kid has to appear for a retest and then since he does not pass the test, he is detained in the previous class to repeat it one more year.

Most of the parents will protest this move by the school. Yet, I find that this move is actually the is the need of the hour whether the parents like it or not. Not that the school can be absolved of any wrong doing.

So lets analyze this situation and ensure you do not get into this turmoil ever.

School conducts a retest for a Nursery class student 

Why would a school go through the hassle of re conducting any assessment? If only you understand this it will make your life easier.

Nursery class is the starting of the educational steps that your child has to climb year after year.

So if this step is weak, do you think the child who has struggled to climb the step 2 will be confident? I doubt. This child will still lack the basics of whatever he was supposed to learn in the Nursery class and on top of it he will have to learn the additional things in new class which definitely will be tougher.

So as a school it makes sense to make the child repeat the Nursery class and build as strong base for all future classes. Else the class teachers will have to struggle until class 9 when he reaches there with not much knowledge.

This is a very faulty ruling of RTE (Right To Education). The intention of RTE is great but the implementation is wrong. The ministry wants to ensure that all children pass upto class 8 and be educated. But who is ensuring that are actually learning what they ought to be? Children are going to the next class year after year with no check on how and where they lack the understanding of the subjects taught per class.

So when this child reaches class 9, he will not be allowed to study as the basic knowledge is not upto the mark. 

Coming to class 9 and failing or repeating class 8 is no joke. Class 8 children are teenagers who will be going through a different set of problems. Add to this the stamp of being a detained student will crush his confidence and self respect. But by then its too late.

Schools have to send pass report to the board once children go to class 9. Now, obviously no school will be interested in declaring that there is a child who has to be detained year after year in class 8. So its better to take the right step when the child is in Nursery.

Is the school at fault?

You bet. The fact that they took one year to come to this conclusion that the child will be repeating the class is the result of their faulty assessment process. They should have taken the assessment right after 3rd month and addressed the child's parent to ensure either repeating or readmission next year.

Are the parents at fault?

Largely. They are the ones who were unaware of their child' progress to wake up when things can not be undone.

Most probably the child's age could be at fault too. There are children who take time to learn. These kids need to be in the classes where they fit best. 

Or may be the child is youngest in the class! Obviously then his brain development is also one year slower that the other children in his class who may be 6 to 12 months older to him. In the younger years, every one month matters a lot.

And I am aghast when parents write to me that "My child will lose one year because he/she is 1 day or one month short of the age criteria for admission!" 

Please read this article to know what is the right age to go to classes

Read this article to know milestone that your child should have completed by a particular age. If your child fits into the category of the activities then he/she is fit for the class or not.

Hutching’s school withholds promotion and re-examines student amid confusion over pre-primary ambit, drawing parents’ ire

Source: Nursery kid in retest dilemma – Pune Mirror