The Clash had a song in which it was sung
"The men at the factory are old and cunning,
You don't owe nothing, boy get running
It's the best years of your life they want to steal"
I sometimes see whole grade acceleration in this same light, as we're pushing kids to get to the drudgery of the adult world far sooner than they need to. Trust me when I say that I wholly understand the frustrations of a child who is not being challenged at school and who does not even have any *prospects* of being challenged for the foreseeable future in school. I am not advocating for that at all.
But why would we want to compact their childhood? Yes, I've seen the studies of the potential for additional income per year of work life. They'll get there soon enough.
Please do not think I agree with the Gift of Time school of thought, because there is a very big difference between those teachers/administrators and me. They have no problem with a child being unchallenged in school for years on end, so long as they stay entirely with age peers.
I, on the other hand, have no problem with a child/person staying in school and *continuously learning* for years on end. More of the Platonic school of thought, if you will. The only area of agreement I have with the Gift of Time group is that childhood is fleeting, brief, and there to be savored- all while soaking up as much knowledge and information as possible.
I am not judging anyone's choices, though. I know and understand that whole grade acceleration is the only option for some children/families, the only way in which the child can get anywhere near the appropriate level of education for them. I know that we are fortunate enough to be able to afford private school which, although not ideal, is still much better than the public school options available to us. It's just unfortunate that the system doesn't work better and that families are forced to make this kind of decision.
To the OP- Good luck next year and I hope the STEM school works out after that.
