THE PROBLEMS OF THE "NON-FAILURE" POLICY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLING

Abstract

<p>In recent years the widely publicized criticism that a great number of students lack the basic skills have deepened the concerns of teachers, parents and employers about the adequacy of student promotion policies. Guidelines introduced by the Ontario Ministry of Education since the mid-seventies have failed to address this issue by allowing local school boards to set and implement their own policies for student promotion. At present, many elementary schools are committed to the "nonfailure" policy claiming that "continuous" promotion is beneficial to students. However, there is strong evidence to support the claim that such policy fails to promote effective learning. The topic was selected to examine the validity of the assumptions on which such policy is based and to discuss the implications for the elementary schools. Adequate promotion policies are crucial to the effectiveness of education and teachers must question the appropriateness and validity of evaluation procedures.</p>