All about repeating school

“If you continue like this, you will repeat yourself!” »This threat, we may have heard it one day or another in the mouths of our parents, after inglorious school results. Today the roles have changed, and it is your child who is struggling in class. Whether in primary, college or high school, the question of repetition can arise during schooling … Can my child repeat? Do I have my say? What could be the psychological impact of this decision? We take stock with Florence Millot, child psychiatrist, author of the book “Learning to concentrate: Understanding your child, motivating him and playing with him”. 

Primary, college, high school: figures falling in France, according to studies

“Contrary to the last decades, repeating a year is a which is becoming increasingly rare in schools », Emphasizes Florence Millot, child psychiatrist. The figures indeed show a significant decrease in repetition in France. According to the survey of “Repères et References Statistics de l’Éducation Nationale”, the repetition rate in CP for the year 2018 is 1,9% in public schools, compared to 3,4% in 2011. This decrease is similar in the different classes of the elementary course, the lowest rate being 0,4% for CM1 and CM2 classes. However, if these figures are on the decline, they remain nonetheless high for overall education, if we compare with classes in neighboring countries. In a study published in 2012 by the Program International for the Monitoring of Student Achievement (PISA), 28% of 15-year-old French people declared having repeated at least once. France was at that date ranked 5th country where repetition is the highest among the OECD countries. 

Which class is repeated the most?

It is often the second class, in high school, which is the most repeated, with 15% of high school students concerned. The main reason for this high rate being the choice of course at the end of the year. Often, teachers’ recommendations clash with the ambition of families. They then ask teachers to let their child repeat the year, to allow him, perhaps, to then access the desired course.

According to the law, when is repetition compulsory? Is it still possible to repeat the year?

In France, since the decree implemented in 2014, grade repetition has become a much more exceptional procedure, due in particular to disputes regarding the potential positive effects. Note: it is prohibited in kindergarten. However, teachers can still voice this possibility in other classes. On the other hand, it is not poor academic performance that will be the main cause. Repetition is mainly considered in the event that the student has missed a significant part of his school year. Later, in college or high school, repetition may be due to a disagreement between the parents (or legal representatives) and the teachers on the child’s orientation. 

Debate on efficiency: why not repeat the year?

If repetition has so little wind in its sails, it is because it is increasingly criticized in schools, both among teachers and school leaders. For many, repeating a year is not the best remedy to fight against school failure and dropping out of school, and its positive effects are very limited. The cases where this has been able to boost the academic performance of repeaters are rare within the classes. Repeating a year is also seen as a blow to children with low self-esteem. In this case, it can even be counterproductive, leaving the child to strongly doubt his potential. If your child is affected by a grade repetition, you should talk to him about it, and explain to him the precise reasons for this decision. Repetition should not be seen as a failure, which could lead him to no longer provide efforts for the next school year.

School retention: can we contest repetition?

The most important thing about grade repetition to know as a parent is that you will always have your say. From the second trimester, you can decide whether or not to move your child to the next grade. If difficulties are already appearing, do not hesitate to quickly set up support courses to improve their academic performance. It is in the last quarter of the school year that the teachers will issue their final opinion on the retention of the student in the level, which may be contested by the parents of the students within fifteen days. An appeal committee will then be mobilized to decide on the passage of the child’s class. 

Namely: in primary school, since 2018, repetition can only be pronounced once by the council of teachers between the CP and the college.

What consequences for the child who has to repeat a school year?

“While each child is obviously different, a repetition process can have an impact on their self-esteem. It is a difficult moment to live, which can also turn out to be totally ineffective. We see children who drop out completely after repeating a year because they did not understand the reason. Hence the fact that this decision is becoming increasingly rare, ”explains Florence Millot. A difficult test for the children but also for the parents: “A child who repeats, it is also the case for the parents. There may be a feeling of having failed in his accompaniment ”.

Manage repetition well with your child

How to make repetition as difficult as possible? “First of all, you have to ask yourself the right questions. It may be relevant to consult a psychologist, because maybe your child suffers from behavioral problems that would not have been detected, such as attention disorders or hyperactivity for example or giftedness. Do not hesitate to take tutoring classes or new activities through support systems. The purpose of repeating a year is not for it to repeat the same program in an identical manner and maintain its academic failure, ”advises Florence Millot. In any case, you should not hesitate to perspective et play down this situation, which does not only have negative impacts, especially in the long term: “It is useless to take offense at“ losing ”a year because of repeating a year. Being a young adult and turning 19 or older in your student life is absolutely no big deal. Everyone’s educational trajectories are different, and finally repeating a year is a drop in the ocean that is the child’s life ”.