Moving a child from Honours level to Pass Maths?

Inzilbeth

I was wondering if anyone can please give me any advice on when and how a school can move a child from Honours to Pass level maths.
My son is good at maths, if a tad lazy at times.. but has always had good results for the last two years. His teacher retired last year and he now has a new one.
At the beginning of the year, all parents got a note home to say that they were keeping an eye on the progress of all students in Science and Maths ( both of which my son is doing honours in) and I assumed this was just because of the disappointing results in the Leaving last year in those subjects and paid no heed to it.
He has his Xmas exams last week when he was sick, but I sent him in anyway.. and I am mad at him.. but he flippen failed.. :mad:
It is the first time he has ever, ever failed a maths exam.. and I honestly am mad at him but if he is having a problem with a particular part of his course.. now is the time for me to get him help .
The problem is that today he was handed his exam results by his new teacher and told to go to the pass class along with four others..!!
I was not called , informed or anything.. and not given the chance to get him help in the section he had the problem with.
My question is can the school do this without informing us at all..?
I have arranged an appointment with them in the morning.. but am fuming as he wants to do Engineering later on.
Thanks

Ficheall

I'd go in and complain until they agree to put him back in honours.
If I didn't know better, and I don't, I'd say he sounds like he's decent at maths, and shouldn't even consider dropping down to pass unless he fails the actual Junior Cert exam. And even if he does fail the JC, then that won't affect anything until he drops out of school without going any further.
Added to this, yon "Project Maths" is coming in soonish, and it's a load of bollocks, but easy bollocks.
Maths was my worst subject in the LC, they advised me to drop down to pass in Maths after I failed the Xmas exam, and I'm now doing a Maths Phd.

You have nothing to lose by going in and getting him transferred back to Honours, whereas his future "educational career" might be seriously hampered if he's forced to do Pass now...

Inzilbeth

Thank you so much for that answer . Yes he is good at maths.. but finds it a bit easy and hence the lazy attitude. He only told me at the weekend he found one section of the algebra hard..( in my view it is only hard till it clicks) .. but did not ask for help with it..and two of the five questions were on that section.
He has had an enormous fright.. and yes you are right.. it will affect what he wants to do later.
You have just cheered me up when we were about to start dinner.. so I thank you.. and am actually feeling a bit better about going in tomorrow

bullpost

Be sure to bring any old maths exams results you have with you to back up your case.
Also let them know that the country is crying out for honours maths students and the school should be doing everything in its power to encourage this.

anirishlad

He should be able to go back up to honours just by asking the teacher,they gave us all a choice to stick with honours for the year or pass.

johnmcdnl

they can't make him do pass in answer to your question - that's always the student's decession at the end of the day... the teacher can recomend to do pass but can't make you do pass..

I'd automatically do honours for the Junior because if nothing else you have the entire pass course covered for the leaving cert if your son has to go down that route in the future..

after all - what harm if he does actually go to fail the junior cert - me personally did pretty good if I do say so myself in my Junior but where has it got me today - nowhere - exactly - it was the leaving that got me to college and when I get my degree it'll be my degree and not the leaving that'll get me a job hopefully...

It's a pointless exam but at the same time you want to aim high in it because it lays the foudation blocks - there's no way that your son should do pass because he's obviously well fit for honours but just make sure he actually does something now and doesn't slack off..

make sure you son does honours and when he comes out with an honour in it be proud of it that you did the right thing.. - or when he fails don't think anything about it and just be happy knowing your son has another 2 years to learn enough extras bits here and there to pass the pass leaving cert and that you actually made the effort to get him an honour but at least your mind will be at ease...

it's a bit of a win win situation giving how important the junior cert is in the long run

and what's there to be gained by doing pass right now - nothing...

There shouldn't be much problem gettting your son back to honours as logn as you make it clear that he's being doing good up til now and that he's actually gonna pick it up and do the bit of work that's neccesary for maths from now til June

Fad

johnmcdnl wrote: »

I'd automatically do honours for the Junior because if nothing else you have the entire pass course covered for the leaving cert if your son has to go down that route in the future..

That is just not true tbh....

Inzilbeth

Thank you for the replies.. we went and had the meeting and it was really hard but got him into the class again.. provisionally.. dependant on an exam in three weeks.
It seems he has all the pass stuff covered, and when they started the higher stuff this year.. he has been slacking off :mad:. so he is in for a rather rude awakening if he is to get through.
The teacher is of the opinion he is able, but is not showing the attitute.. and he has students looking to get up to the higher class who have put the work in.. that is really fair.
So he has moved those up who worked for it, moved those down who did not work.. and unfortunately my son was one of those..
The teacher believes that if it would be hard for him to actually put the effort in.. it may take away from his other subjects.
I pointed out, he has slacked, he needs to be pushed ( and muggins here as usual is going to have to do the pushing) but that I dont want him to be given it easy now.. as I know him.. make him work he will do it when pushed.. let him away with it.. and he will barely get a pass in pass!!!
Truthfully I hope the 'attitude' will improve.. and his time management.. as he matures.. but at least he now has a reprieve albeit a short one.. and now he needs to buckle down and show his potential.... even if it is us pushing him along.
He will never be able to say he was not given every opportunity, but it does seem here that if he slacks off again,,, in this school.. he can be relegated again.. so he has made more work for himself but at least he now has a fighting chance.
Kids Eh!!! :rolleyes: thanks really for the replies..