I'm interested to hear others opinions on swearing.  I've had a couple of e-mails asking me to tone down the swearing after I did so in my post reviewing Nigel Latta.  I'm not really big on swearing and only did so in that post as a bit of a joke because Nigel's presentations include a lot of the big bad  'f' word.  While I don't swear a lot myself,  I am also not greatly offended by others swearing (I grew up on a farm, sheep will drive even the most placid of fathers to expletives!).  I think there are far more concerning behaviours than a bit of bad language.  However, I'm holidaying in Townsville (Northern Queensland, Australia) at the moment and was stunned to  learn that swearing in Queensland is set to become an offence.  Police will issue on the spot fines of $100 for swearing in public from next year.   

And what about swearing in schools?  In my experience teaching at Secondary level, swearing is fairly commonplace in the school grounds and only really disciplined when directed at a teacher or when used with malice against another student.    If a student trips, stubs their toe and yells out a swear word the most common response from a teacher would be a fairly low level reprimand.    I suspect that in times gone by students wouldn't have dared to swear in school.   It is also an issue in New Zealand's primary and intermediate schools and I appreciate that parents have differing views on it.  In some families, for example, "bloody" is a swear word and in others, it's not.    And what about students who have been brought up in families where swearing is commonplace, a natural part of everyday dialogue - is it fair to penalise such kids when they bring this language to school?  Is it being culturally insensitive?  Personally, I believe that children are very good at adapting their behaviour for different settings.  And those that aren't good at this, need to learn the skill - it is part of life that we alter our behaviour depending on social expectations.   A tradesman's language while out on the tools may be quite different to when he is at a parent teacher interview!  I see no problem in a school enforcing a no swearing rule for all students.   But maybe I'm being unrealistic and such a rule may be just too hard and too time consuming to enforce.  What is your school's approach to the issue?   

Many parents sometimes wonder whether their child would be better off moving back a year or moving ahead a year.   I expect that it may become even more of an issue as National Standards are implemented – parents who are frequently reminded that their child is “well above” or “well below” the standard will begin to question whether their child is being catered for in their current Year level. 

The decision to move a child up or down a Year level is a very child-specific one that needs to be addressed on a case by case basis.  However there are some issues that all those contemplating such a move need to consider:

1.       Can I shift them by law?

In New Zealand, school is free and compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen and is a right until the end of the year during which the student turns nineteen (or 21 for disabled students with special needs).  Most students in New Zealand start school on or around their fifth birthday (you must be five to enter Year 0).    So you can’t start a bright four year old at school and you can’t hold someone back at school into adulthood.  There is nothing in the law to stop a child jumping up a year or two and therefore finishing their secondary school qualifications early and leaving at age 16 or 17.  There is also nothing to stop a student being held back a year and therefore finishing a year later at age 19.  Schools however may have their own policies about whether they allow and/or encourage children to go up or down a year. 

2.       Will it do them good to have them shifted up or down a year?

The most common reasons given for wanting a child shifted are: 

“They are finding the work far too easy and risk getting bored” or “They are really struggling with the work and risk loss of self-esteem and motivation”

Both of the above are good reasons and warrant further exploration of the idea moving up or down a Year level, however you do need to be aware that moving a Year level may create new problems.   If your child’s birthday means that they are very near the cut off point, then a change may have minimal effect – especially if done during the early school years.  On the other hand if they are a full year younger or older than most of their peers, there may be more issues to consider.

If you move your child up a Year level you need to think about whether he or she will also be able to cope with this emotionally, physically and socially.  Will they mind losing contact with their current group of friends and starting over?  Will they find it hard being the youngest further on down the track when it comes to their peers going through puberty, getting cell-phones, drivers’ licences and the like?  Don’t forget that as children go through the ‘tween’ and teenage years many find it very difficult if they are in any way different to their peers.  You also need to question whether there is any point to rushing a child through their school years – once out of secondary school, tertiary education is expensive and work lasts a lifetime.   I would be more inclined to talk to your child’s teacher about extending them within their current Year level.

 When it comes to moving down a Year level, I would also be hesitant.   At primary level especially, children’s brains are still developing and a child that appears behind in his reading for example may later ‘click’ to reading, take off and catch up to his peers.  Boys in particular can also often take some time to settle into school.  I would also explore first what options the school can provide as far as extra help goes.

For those of you would like to see what other parents think about this issue, there is a good discussion going on here at the Trade Me forum.   It includes some examples of where a move has been a very positive experience so far and others where parents are now not sure if it was the right decision.

Those of you with children who are very academically able for their Year level may also wish to check out The Gifted Education Centre as it is currently Awareness Week for Gifted Education.  There is an interesting interview here from National Radio on gifted learners.