ds6 has an early may birthday. In our school in NZ that means he does 7 terms {there are 4 a year} in year one before progressing on to year 2 [ds8 only did 3}. They are almost completely rigid about this and shot me down when I asked them to put him up to year 2 at the end of last year.
So he is going into year 2 at the same level as the more advanced kids leave year 2.
I went to speak to the assistant principal in charge of the junior school yesterday and got;
1/ His comprehension isn't as good and he shouldn't have been allowed to go to the level his teacher has him on. This was coupled with a story about he daughter hating reading because she was given books she could read not understand.
2/ His maths and writing are not as good as his reading. This is true but I am not suggesting he go to year 4 just to go to year 3 with the kids 5 weeks older who in the most part are at a lower level. Or does she think he has to be at the top of the class if he goes up?
3/ Socially he is immature. True but he isn't going to get more mature if he has no older kids to model himself on.
4/ There are a lot of very bright kids in his year. True he is only on the ninety nine point eighth percentile there will be other bright kids just not many and our school has more than most.
It isn't that what she said was untrue just not very relevant to whether my son will be adequately challenged when all the kids he works with go up and he doesn't.
But he is not unhappy and he may get a good teacher although probably not one prepared to buck the system. I can challenge him at home and he likes the social aspects of school. Also while I can't imagine ds8 being a year back some extra time on writing may have helped and the highest performers in the class are the older gifted children. This means they have more opportunities offered and have more chance of testing into the few extension programmes offered. The intermediate extension class is being disbanded before they get there but there is still some options available in high school.
I just don't have the energy to push the issue and I don't want to have to move both kids because I have upset too many people.
Thanks for reading.
Any advice or experience?
