Friday, June 10, 2011
Examining exams
So, number one son just finished his end of year exams. He is quite put out that his latin exam was below par. Not a failure by any means, but below the class average. I can't say I'm really that bothered. He got fabulous results in both maths and science, so I am finding it hard to get exercised about Latin.
LL is bothered though, feels we let him down by not adequately testing his revisions. Though I do understand her viewpoint, I do, I don't agree. He's getting of an age where he must be willing to study himself... or not. He then bears the results of his efforts.
To be fair, his result was a bit bellow where he needs it for his common entrance exams next year. The perversity of the independent sector is that at 13, boys and girls sit a set of exams that the state sector doesn't sit until GCSE's a couple years later. Then requires a base line result that is well above the national average. Such is the life of some teenagers. So, it will mean a bit more hard work, and I will have to sit down with him to see if he does understand this. That its hard work required, not him "being rubbish at Latin" and therefor never able to do it.
But I'm still not that bothered. Yes, a latin scholar would be fun to have in the family, but he got the second highest science score in the school, and to me that is much much more important and worth celebrating. Being rubbish at latin is no bad thing.
LL is bothered though, feels we let him down by not adequately testing his revisions. Though I do understand her viewpoint, I do, I don't agree. He's getting of an age where he must be willing to study himself... or not. He then bears the results of his efforts.
To be fair, his result was a bit bellow where he needs it for his common entrance exams next year. The perversity of the independent sector is that at 13, boys and girls sit a set of exams that the state sector doesn't sit until GCSE's a couple years later. Then requires a base line result that is well above the national average. Such is the life of some teenagers. So, it will mean a bit more hard work, and I will have to sit down with him to see if he does understand this. That its hard work required, not him "being rubbish at Latin" and therefor never able to do it.
But I'm still not that bothered. Yes, a latin scholar would be fun to have in the family, but he got the second highest science score in the school, and to me that is much much more important and worth celebrating. Being rubbish at latin is no bad thing.
