Catholic School Entrance Exam for First Graders? Does this Seem Too Harsh?

Question

Our son is almost six years old and has never been to school. We enrolled him into catholic schooI for entry into the first grade.He had to take an entrance exam.The exam was held for an hour in a room with toys, and our son began to "act up" crying, that he wanted to play, wouldn't sit, etc. Finally, the teacher got him under control and our son took the exam. After they deposited our $75.00 non-refundable registration fee and a five week wait, we called the school and were informed that our son had failed the math part of the test "miserably" and would not be accepted into the school.That he wouldn't be at the math level that the other children were up to, even though he is at the same reading level.I believe they made up their minds a minute after we walked out the door. After all, isn't he going there to learn? We're having a hard time with our sons' behaviour. But we hurt for him and we're angry. Any advice, suggestions? About our son? About the school? Thank you for answering!!!

Answer 1

Sounds like to me as if your son isn't ready for school.  Obviously that is so otherwise he wouldn't have whined about playing and would have focused on the test.  

You made the choice to pay the $75, if you didn't want them to have it then you should not have made that choice, you have no right to complain.

Answer 2

Surely you knew beforehand that there would be an exam? You had explained to your child what would be involved, and that he might not get in, and that he needed to behave and try his best if he wanted to go to that school? You had practiced with him sitting quietly and doing tests?

At these schools there are a certain number of places. They go to the top however many children from the exams, and the others don't get in. That's just the way it is. If you don't like the system, you don't have to apply. Did it not occur to you that he might be one of the ones who didn't make it? That no, the teachers didn't make an unfair decision the moment you walked through the door, they decided based on a fair comparison with the other kids that his maths skills aren't up to it?

Teachers enjoy teaching bright kids. They have no interest WHATSOEVER in discriminating against someone based on a snap judgement and taking a less able kid instead.

And why do you want to send your child to a school where everyone else will be far better at maths than he is? I'm not sure I can think of anything worse than being the least academic child in an academically selective school. You need to realise that this is for the best. The exam is so that the school can see which kids they feel will benefit from, and fit best into, their system. Yours wasn't one of them. You need to move on. Now you can do that by blaming the school, or you can do it by realising that it was a square peg in a round hole situation. Not every school is right for every child, no matter how much you'd like for that one to be right for yours. And if that one had been right for your child...he'd have actively wanted to go there and he'd have behaved better.

Answer 3

Sounds like you want the best for your child.  Catholic school might seem like a good Idea But all the people I met that have gone to them hated it.  This one kid I was friends with loved public school much more.  He said he would never send his kids to a privet catholic school.  

If the school is not willing to take on a child that is not good with his math at the age of 6. Then what if he ends up with a learning problem.  Then what?  Will they just kick him out and make him feel stupid?  Thats awful.

I would never send my chid to a school that will not make accommodations. No child is the same and not all children learn the same way.  It is probably best he does not go to that school. If you live in an area where the public schools are good send him to it.  If the Public schools are bad then look for a better school.  

Your son is 6 let him be a kid and play.  Make learning fun.  What is wrong with his behavior?

Answer 4

A placement exam for a child who is starting school for the first time is reasonable, particularly if the family opted out of kindergarten (which is still optional in many parts of the country).

It's unfortunate that the test was not properly administrated. It shouldn't have been his first visit to the room and his first meeting with the teacher, and one of you should have been allowed to hang out in the room so that he was comfortable and also to reinforce the teacher's authority.

Options:

Ask that the test be readministered, because your son was nervous and frightened as it was a first-time experience for him. Since your son has been through it once, you can help him prepare to handle the experience better with a little coaching. Also, maybe you can coach him on numbers a little bit so that he won't have so much trouble with math.

Or, just ask that he take the math part over for the same reason above.

A lot of six-year-old boys are doing kindergarten instead of first grade these days, so that's an option for you. Not every Catholic school has kindergarten, so you may have to go to public school for that.

I don't know whether or not they made up their minds straight away, but it's time to let that go and move on for the sake of your son. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

Your child is probably not ready for any first grade, Catholic or otherwise, if he's never been to Pre-K or kindergarten.  If he's not even six yet, I would suggest you enroll in him public kindergarten this fall.    Kindergarten is no longer just a "nice option" for kids to be introduced to school.  Most children in kindergarten (and even in preschool) learn the necessary pre-reading and math skills to cope with first grade work.  Your son needs to learn to walk (figuratively speaking) before he can run.

Answer 6

I was told a Catholic school had to take them if they are a part of the Parish. If your not then look at State school

Answer 7

Our kids all started out at the Catholic school in our area.  We did it because we are Catholic and it is the norm for our family, others did it for the prestige of sending their kid to a private school so the school had to have an exam to see which would make the best quality of students and those that needed more help they were referred to the public schools.

Many of the Catholic schools in our area are above average on the academic level but these kids also have a lot of independant study time.  The teachers push them to do more on their own so that they learn better study habits.  If a child can not act on their own and has to have their hand held then they are not learning the one lesson our school pushes the most and that is independance.  Your son not going to kindergarten may not have held him back as far as knowing how to read but he doesnt have the social structure that many private schools require.

Another point is most of the Catholic schools take parishoners first and then they fill the empty spots with the public.  They may have 20 kids in a class but only 4 of them are from the community and the rest are parishoners so the ones that do not belong to the church have to score higher and the top four will be the ones that get the spots.  This does not mean your son didnt do well it just means the others scored higher.

This year we sent our kids to the public school because they were begging to get out of the Catholic school.  Yes they learned and had a good education but the social aspect is better for kids in the public schools.  There are more activities available for them, they no longer have to wear the uniforms attend mass everyday and they are happier.

As a parent it is normal to be hurt when you feel your child has been wronged but in these cases it is just the way the school works, getting mad will not change the outcome at all and just builds resentment.  Get your son in regular school and tell him that he didnt do wrong he just has to get better at math and that a lot of kids stuggle with that in the begining.  Once he gets in school and starts a routine you will see a change in the behavoir of wanting to play.  It is hard for a kid to go from being home and playing all day to sitting in a room and having to be still but they learn.  As far as the school goes just chalk it up to an experiance learned and move on.  We all have our plans changed and sometimes the new plan is better.

Answer 8

My son has gone to Catholic pre-school and kindergarten.  He was tested with the Geselle asessment test for kindergarten entry and was again tested for 1st grade this  year.  The reason they do this is to see if a) they are up to par and can meet the criteria of the school curriculum and b) to see if they are mature enough.  There have been children at my son's school who are more than able to handle the work that have been left back for behavioral issues.  I do not believe it is unreasonable for kids to be tested in Catholic school because they have different requirements and policies than public school and can hold their students to a higher standard.

Did they review the results of the test with you?  If not, you should request that they do so.  As far as your son failing math "miserably", usually by 1st grade, they are (at least in my son's school) required to be able to count to 100 by 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s, know basic money concepts and be able to add and subtract. They are just now starting on double digit addition and subtraction.  If he has not had experience in all of those things and he was placed in a first grade class, he'd never be able to catch up - it would be unfair to him.  

As for the behavioral part, by 1st grade, there is a certain level of expectation with regard to how one should act.  My son's school is required to go to church every Wednesday  morning, they attend morning assembly and do a fair amount of field trips.  Again, if they feel a child is not up to handling that, they have the right of refusal.  Sadly, when you break it down, Catholic school is a business too.  They have to keep the parents happy because we pay to send our kids there by choice.  It is not public school where anyone is entitled to go.  They have to remain competitive with other private schools.  From a parent's perspective, if I am spending that kind of money for my kid's tuition, he better be ahead of his public school peers and there better be a certain level of control in his classroom.  This year, 2 kids were asked to leave the school after passing the entrance exam because they were too disruptive.  While these kids were nice, they hindered the progress of the class.  I feel bad for parents and kids in that situation but at the same time, you have to be reasonable.

Whatever the outcome, I hope it works out for you and your son.

Answer 9

Your child is behind not having been to kindergarten.  In CA, kindergarten is mandatory now and half-day kindergarten is fast disappearing as kids are being held to higher academic standards earlier because of the pressure on teachers and emphasis on standardized testing.  First grade requirements now are the same as second grade 20 years ago.  

I teach at a private school that uses "the kindergarten game" as a way of testing for kindergarten readiness.  From your own description of your son's exam, I can guarantee that we wouldn't take him... even if his math skills weren't behind, he simply doesn't have the social skills to sit still for a couple hours at a time and be attentive to a teacher, use self-control through a lesson, etc.  

I don't mean to sound harsh, I just thought that I should be honest about where your son's development is at the present.  The good news is, he's only six!  A year or two of school, with you helping him at home with the math and helping to socialize him with his peers will make a world of difference as he matures.  A public school may not be a bad option for you (especially if you have good ones in your area) since they can help you determine whether your child is just immature for his age or whether there's some other reason for his behavior that they can help diagnose and accommodate.  That said, the school should have contacted you within a week of the exam and to leave you hanging is inexcusable.