James Barry questions why schools assign grades by birth date instead of mastery. His daughter Emily, born in November and academically ahead, was held back while a classmate born in August, less skilled, advanced to kindergarten. Barry argues education should work like workplaces: advance based on what you can do, not when you were born.
Why don't we teach a child so that you master a subject and then you move on? Why is it based off your birthday? Just because you're born on September 1st or before or after doesn't mean that you are qualified or know enough of the topics to be at that age, first grade level, for example, or kindergartner. Our oldest had another student that she was classmates with. This boy was born in August and he moved over to kindergarten. Emily had to stay back another year, even though she was more advanced. She had said he scribble scrabbled, right? And she was coloring in the lines and he was just going everywhere. Everywhere, yet he was promoted to kindergarten just because he was born in August and she was born in November. She was held back. Wait, how come we don't teach to mastery when we work at our companies? For example, it's not based off of your birth date or your grade. Your boss could be younger than you. How come the education system isn't developed so that you are learning at the speed that you're wanting to go at? So whether you're slower at reading or you're faster, it should be at the pace that's designed specifically for you.
