Why is it that, in some cantons, you can only repeat a year if you have a doctor’s certificate?

Thank you very much for this interesting and relevant question, which I’ll be happy to try to answer.

There has been extensive research on this topic, and the evidence is quite clear. Studies in various countries show that pupils usually feel they have a bit of ‘breathing space’ and also perform slightly better in the short term, but that this lead dissipates quite quickly (Bless et al., 2004; Moser et al., 2012; Hattie, 2009). This means that, in the longer term, repeating a year brings no benefit in terms of academic outcomes (e.g. marks on school reports, later school-leaving qualifications, later career progression).

In the long run, the results are the same as if the pupil had not repeated the year.

Studies also show that repeating a year brings with it disadvantages:

• higher school drop-out rates (Hughes et al., 2017),
• a higher risk of not obtaining a school-leaving qualification later on (Jacob & Lefgren, 2009),
• lower self-esteem and reduced motivation (Kretschmann et al., 2019).
• Furthermore, it can also be emotionally stressful to lose one’s entire network of friends or even to be stigmatised or excluded because of having to repeat a year. These disadvantages then also affect the subsequent school years.

There are also studies which show, from an economic perspective, that repeating a year incurs high costs and does not bring any significant benefits for long-term educational outcomes (Manacorda, 2012).

Intuitively, one might think that having a little more time to practise would lead to improvement and progress. However, this is only the case if the pupil was under mental or physical strain during that school year (e.g. the death of a parent, a severely debilitating illness resulting in frequent absences, such as during cancer treatment, or mental health conditions such as depression) and these stresses have limited their ability to perform. If a child’s ability to perform is limited for other reasons, this cannot be made up for simply by allowing more time.

This is why cantonal recommendations or guidelines often state that repeating a year should only be considered as a last resort. It is better to support the child through low-threshold or enhanced measures and to provide assistance in the new school year. Examples of such support measures include:

• support sessions with a specialist in special educational needs (also known as an IF teacher or SHP).
• If necessary, a school psychology consultation or certain assessments may be advisable to find out why the child is learning at a slower pace. There may be underlying reasons (e.g. a reading and spelling disorder) that can then be addressed specifically.
• Other options, such as measures to compensate for disadvantages, may be considered.
• If the child or young person is lagging far behind the class curriculum, individual learning objectives can also be agreed for certain subjects. This allows them to continue learning at their own pace and reduces the pressure to perform. However, this decision must be carefully considered, as it has a significant impact on a child’s school career. Depending on the canton, different people are involved – but usually the teacher, the school counsellor, the parents and the pupil themselves.

As you yourself say, pupils develop at different rates. That is why, as a teacher, one assumes a certain degree of (academic) heterogeneity within the class. To ensure that all pupils can continue learning at their current level, a range of different learning opportunities is provided. Through this differentiated teaching and additional (special educational) support, learning difficulties can be addressed more effectively than through mere repetition.

I hope you find this overview of the research literature and the considerations from an educational perspective helpful. At the same time, I hope that my answer has been of assistance.

Kind regards

Janina Kraft

Sources:

• Bless, G., Schuepbach, M., & Bonvin, P. (2004). Repeating a year; determinants, effects and consequences. Bern: Haupt. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12162/343
• Hughes, J. N., Cao, Q., West, S. G., Allee Smith, P., & Cerda, C. (2017). Effect of retention in primary school on early school leaving. Journal of School Psychology, 65, 11–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.06.003
• Hattie, John. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203887332
• Jacob, Brian A., & Lefgren, Lars (2009). "The Impact of Grade Retention on High School Completion." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1 (3), pp. 33–58 https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.1.3.33
• Kretschmann, J., Vock, M., Lüdtke, O., Jansen, M., & Gronostaj, A. (2019). Effects of grade retention on students’ motivation: A longitudinal study over 3 years of secondary school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(8), pp. 1432–1446. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000353
• Manacorda, Marco (2012). “The Cost of Grade Retention.” Review of Economics and Statistics, 94(2). pp. 596–606.
• http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/REST_a_00165
• Moser, Michelle E., West, Stephen G., & Hughes, Jan N. (2012). “Trajectories of Maths and Reading Achievement in Low-Achieving Children in Primary School: Effects of Early and Later Retention in Year Group.” Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1). pp. 164–181 DOI: 10.1037/a0027571