Grade retention practices in public and private schools in Lebanon (original) (raw)

Grade retention is the practice of requiring a student to repeat a year of academic instruction at a particular level (Jackson, 1975). There has been a recent increase in retentions in the United States (Shepard & Smith, 1990) and in many developing countries (Amadio, 1995). Holmes (1989) notes that an estimate of a 6% annual retention rate for public schoolchildren produces a cumulative rate of non-promotion greater than 50%. Between 1970 and 1980 repetitions increased by 41% in Africa, 46% in Latin America, and 7.3% in Asia (Amadio, 1995). This increase is related to the back-to-basics movement and the trend towards minimum competencies (Niklason, 1984). Educators who favour the use of grade retention claim that it serves two major purposes: to remedy inadequate academic progress; and to enhance the development of emotionally immature students (Jackson, 1975). They maintain that re-exposure to academic material and placement in a group of younger children are beneficial educational interventions for the failing child. This practice is recommended despite the fact that accumulated research fails to provide evidence that retention can be beneficial, rather suggesting that it can be harmful (Holmes