Educators have warned against the growing practice of promoting learners to higher classes before they complete their current grades, saying premature advancement could leave children with academic gaps and undermine their psychological and social development.
The practice, particularly common at primary school level, is increasingly being driven by parents who believe their children are academically gifted or have outgrown their current classes.
However, some parents base the decision on their children's age and physical development rather than their ability to handle the academic demands of higher grades.
The trend reportedly became more pronounced following the COVID-19 lockdown, when learners spent an extended period at home after schools closed.
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A teacher at Kitante Primary School, Konnie Atuhaire, said she promoted her daughter from Primary Six to Primary Seven after the lockdown, having conducted lessons with her at home and concluded that she was ready for the next class.
Atuhaire said the decision was made jointly with her daughter, but the outcome fell short of their expectations when her final examination results turned out lower than anticipated.
She said the performance affected her daughter's chances of securing admission to some of the prominent secondary schools they had hoped she would join.
Kitante Primary School Headteacher Jane Kyakuwa said some parents pressure schools to advance their children because they consider them too old or physically developed for their current classes.
Others, she said, resort to skipping classes to avoid paying additional school fees, without adequately considering whether their children are academically prepared.
Teachers Noah Mubiri and Florence Nakayiza warned that premature promotion could undermine learners' confidence, disrupt their academic progress and leave gaps in foundational knowledge.
They said children who skip grades may struggle with more demanding subjects and expectations in higher classes, potentially affecting their overall academic performance.
However, Uganda National Teachers' Union (UNATU) General Secretary Filbert Baguma said learners with exceptional academic abilities and a strong understanding of subjects could be promoted and still perform well.
Baguma, however, noted that skipping classes is not formally provided for within Uganda's education system, raising questions about how schools should handle learners who demonstrate exceptional academic abilities.
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As debate over the practice continues, educators say decisions to advance learners should be guided by demonstrated academic readiness and their overall development rather than age, physical appearance or parents' desire to reduce school expenses.
