Recently, members of the Civil Society Platform called on the Government to reconsider the automatic promotion policy of students arguing that it compromises the quality of education in the country. However, the education ministry says unlike before when education was a privilege, it is now everyone’s right and cannot therefore go down that path. Teachers and parents are also divided on the issue. Those in favour of automatic promotion say it saves the parent a lot of time and money while those against it hold that repeating a class helps a child understand what they have been taught. All the above arguments hold water but in this day and age where we are living in a global world, it is important to emphasise both academics and co-curricular activities. Working with each student individually provides adequate time to discover their abilities, interests and hindrances to academic excellence. As one teacher observed, every child is endowed with special abilities which must be harnessed. Therefore, parents and teachers should not rush to make learners repeat because it could have more harm than good in some cases. For instance, last year in Uganda, a student committed suicide after she was discontinued over poor performance. If the child has poor grades, teachers in collaboration with the parents should offer extra classes other than suspend them.
