Someone I know who is into their 60's told me recently that back in the day (when the nuns still ran the Catholic schools for the most part) there were over 50 children in her class.
She said that a person not be in the top percentage as far as quick learners went in those days simply did not get the extra attention they needed. They were passed along and slipped through.
I think we can safely say that in many situations not much has changed. Sure there are laws about how many children can be piled into a room and how many adults have to be there but I'm talking about the 20% or more of the children who need some extra time and attention.
While there is a level where we cannot control what is going on in another's home I think we can safely say that as far as schooling goes parents, grandparents and taxpayers should and do have a say in whether it is an accepted practice to let children slip through the cracks.
Blaming children for not understanding and not liking school is not the answer.
My mother was a teacher in the inner-city. It burnt her out quickly although she has the biggest heart. It was the politics and lack of support in dealing with all the issues that burnt her out. It was the principal always looking for their next promotion and the power plays as well as the blame-the-teacher mentality that did her in.
If I am hard on teachers sometimes I am wrong. It is not the teacher's sole responsibility to educate, they are on the frontlines but it is a collaborative effort with a combination of factors.
We are all accountable to some degree.
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