>>11
Had they actually held me back when I was younger, it would've been an incredible waste of resources. My issue with public school was not the content, I was always very bored by it. My issue with public school is the homework. I felt that I would learn on school time, and I did, but my time was mine.
As a result of the effort-driven grades, I often failed courses.
Holding me back would have not changed a damn thing and I would've been perpetually in school, an enormous drain on taxpayer money considering that I was perfectly adept at actual learning.
The problems with the school system can not be so simply diagnosed. There is a large number of problems with it and it will never, ever work for every person. It boils down to philosophical questions, such as:
Does a dumb kid that tries really hard to understand the material deserve to fail at school (and in essence, life)?
Does the really intelligent kid that aces all the tests deserve to fail because she or he does not need the homework to understand the material?
Does the kid that's rebelling against the system in a self-destructive way deserve to not live a normal life because of predictable teenage behavior?