Do you think sometimes it is OK to let a kid fail?

Question

I mean if they simply won't try and are totally unmotivated. Should you let them fail so they get a real grasp on reality or do you think false means should be used to promote them and promote dishonesty? I think it unfair that kids can be lax and get a free pass to the next grade, just so they don't tarnish somebody's (or the school's) image

I am actually only 17, a senior in high school. I am against NCLB fullheartedly, by the way. I am going to college for History Education (HS level). I think the biggest problem is that kids don't know how to manage time. I run Cross Country, play Lacrosse, and do Student Congress for Speech and Debate. Sometimes I need to miss a day of one of them to focus on my school work. I don't want to have to be inelligible for a week due to bad grades to get my head in the game. Sometimes, you have to decide what is more important. The extras, or the school work? Passing a kid because he wants to play football in college is not going to help him if he gets injured and can't play anymore. A true education can help him even if he can't move. See the difference? Maybe it is matter of perspective. Maybe it is the future teacher talking in me.

Answer 1

Well...I think that won't be such a good idea to just let a kid fail because he/she wants to. Sometimes they don't want to, they try to understand the subject, but just don't tell anyone. That's my idea. I agree with you saying that it's unfair for kids to get a free pass to the next grade even though they fail like all their classes. Now THAT is unfair. But, I guess you can talk to the kid, see what you can work out. Who knows, that's probably all the kid needs is someone to talk to, ya know?

Answer 2

I would agree with you that I hate for kids to just be passed on. I also think failure is a learning experience in it's own right. I have a friend who's daughter has been a handful. She has failed a lot. She is a junior right now, and was slapped with the fact that she will not graduate. She can't understand it. She's a junior, she said. I should be fine. There is no correlation to credits and graduation. I didn't learn this either until college. Partly this is my fault for not taking more interest, but I also blame my parents for not being a part of that. They wanted me to do well, but didn't explain things. With NCLB the push is test scores for money. To pass a child that has not tried is just enabling them.
Hang in there. It's tough. If your a teacher, thank you!

Answer 3

Look, I went through school when they were affraid to fail anyone. I just showed up. I never studied, did assignments, or anything. My parents after HS encouraged me to go to college. That was the first time I actually wanted to learn. I had to take all the fundamental classes and pass to stay in school. I have attained; 2 technical degree's, one was Military, 2 college degree's, and many other educational experiences.

Where am I going with this? If the kid wants to learn they will learn. It may take some reality to help them know why they want to learn. Don't cheat the system as you refered to. Make them earn or fail. All you can do is to keep encouraging and be alittle tough on them when needed.

Answer 4

Grades are grades. A failing grade is an earned fail. You sound frustrated and perhaps should speak with a colleague at your school for support and advice. The student in question may have home issues or language issues or a learning disability. There may be more to it that "not trying". If it's a general "rule of thumb" that no one fails at your school, then it's an environment that is breeding future failures in life. Your school is a place of deaducation and not education.

Answer 5

If kids don't learn how to handle failure, life will be very miserable for them, because trust me, they will fail at more than one thing in life. What better time than when they are living at home and have a safe place to fall, and loving people to help them back up on their feet. If they don't know some failure, how can they really appreciate success. Some people just have to learn the hard way. And parents have to let them.

Answer 6

um, im in 8th grade and have a kid like that in one of my classes and he is definately not going anywhere. i think that 5th grade and up is ok to let a kid fail and get held back. but other than that i dont know cuz i know that if i would have gotten held back i probably would have given up school because of the taunting i would get. but i think that in 5th grade kids need to start realizing there is a real world and really get a feel for what failure and a lack of effort will do to them.

Answer 7

I have been against passing undeserving kids all my life, not just because it's unfair to the deserving ones, but also to teach them a lesson on hard work and perseverance.

I've just recently advised my friend who wants to learn how to drive that she should not avail of the option to skip the actual driving exam if it was presented to her, because in the end, she might become the victim herself in case she gets into an accident caused by incompetence. "Think of the expenses and loss of sleep you'll get in case you cause damage to property and, God forbid, loss of life or limb just because you passed the exam without being tested on actually driving a vehicle," I said. Thank God she took my advice.

Answer 8

Year by year as a nation we are becoming dumb and dumber . Thanks to the "No kid left behind"Only teaching whats on the taas test. The schools baby them making every one winner and no losers.They should be allowed to fail , only way they will try . Think of it this way you fall on the ground , instead of picking ones self up and moving on. you will stay in the same place.Some one comes along and carries them. One they didnt learn to stand back up, to brush them selves off an try again..why should they ... someone did it for them. Like physical growth that is learned step by step . So is mental growth .. comes from trail and error .Did this make sense ?

Answer 9

If they never fail at anything there never going to learn, imagine if you went thought life and never failed at anything than what would they feel like when they fail big time I think it teaches them little by little to prepare us for any big failures that come our way but there nothing stopping you from encouraging the kid to do better and get better then the child will pass and feel fantastic.

Answer 10

Personally, I think it's necessary.
I'm 14, so yes, I can completely discuss on this.
It's necessary for us to fail. If we always succeed we will get bored, not to mention stop trying. That is the biggest problem. If a kid fails then they will understand and try harder next time. Having no challenges in life is boring; we'll turn into senile-minded couch potatoes.