I think that kids will naturally help one another if they need it and without a lot of adult intervention. I remember playing school with a friend myself and teaching her long division. However I think that type of altruism should be internally motivated and not parent directed or laden with any expectations on the kids part.
For a teacher to task a child with helping other children in lieu of having their own educational needs met is unethical. Minx, your son has every right to feel resentful at this. To me it smacks of slavery (this kid doesn't get to learn, he just has to help the other kids -- and clean the blackboards). I imagine myself in this situation presenting the teacher with a bill for my child's tutoring services (though my imagination is way more snarky than I am in real life). I consider this sort of thing completely unacceptable.
