The Power of Failing: Why We Need to Bring Back Flunking

The Power of Failing: Why We Need to Bring Back Flunking

Tens of thousands of 18-year-olds graduate each year with diplomas that are essentially meaningless. These diplomas look identical to those awarded to their more academically successful peers, but their true value comes into question when employers discover these graduates lack basic literacy skills.

Some of these individuals eventually find their way to “educational repair shops” – adult literacy programs like the one where I teach basic grammar and writing. Here, high school graduates and dropouts alike pursue GEDs, struggling to acquire skills they should have learned years ago. In these classrooms, the stark reality of their educational shortcomings becomes painfully clear.

As I teach, I learn a great deal about the systemic issues plaguing our schools. Early in each session, I ask my students to write about an unpleasant experience they had in school. Writer’s block is never a problem. Responses range from “I wish someone had made me stop doing drugs and made me study,” to “I liked to party, and no one seemed to care,” to “I was a good kid and didn’t cause any trouble, so they just passed me along even though I didn’t read well and couldn’t write.”

While societal factors like drugs and divorce certainly play a role in hindering academic performance, the common thread in my students’ stories is a lack of engagement and accountability. Before teachers can expect students to concentrate, they need to capture their attention. While teaching style plays a role, sometimes a more potent tool is necessary: the threat of failure.

I’ll never forget a teacher who wielded this tool to get the attention of one of my own children. Our youngest, a charismatic slacker, had coasted through school with minimal effort. That is, until Mrs. Stifter.

Our son was a senior in her English class. “He sits in the back of the room talking to his friends,” she told me. “Why don’t you move him to the front row?” I suggested, hoping embarrassment would motivate him. Mrs. Stifter looked at me with a steely gaze. “I don’t move seniors,” she said. “I flunk them.”

I was taken aback. No teacher had ever threatened him with that before. But by the time I got home, I felt a sense of relief. It was a radical approach, but perhaps it was exactly what he needed. “She’s going to flunk you,” I told my son, leaving no room for debate. Suddenly, English became a priority in his life, and he finished the semester with an A.

This may be just one example, but in night school, I encounter a constant stream of students who are angry and resentful for having been passed along until they could no longer keep up. These individuals, often of average or above-average intelligence, eventually dropped out of school, believing they were simply incapable of learning. “I should have been held back,” is a common lament. Even more disheartening are the high school graduates who confess, “I don't know how I ever got a high school diploma.”

Passing students who haven’t mastered the material is a disservice to both the students and the employers who expect graduates to possess basic skills. We excuse this dishonesty by citing difficult circumstances, but we fail to recognize that regardless of their background, most students won’t prioritize their education unless they perceive something is at stake.

Many of my adult students could offer expert testimony on unemployment, addiction, or abusive relationships. Despite these hardships, they have chosen to make education a priority, driven by the desire for a better job or the need to keep the one they have. They possess a healthy fear of failure.

People of all ages can overcome their challenges, but they need a reason to do so. Young people often lack the maturity to value education in the same way my adult students do. However, the fear of failure – whether economic or academic – can motivate individuals of all ages.

Reinstating flunking as a regular policy is just as valid today as it was generations ago. We must recognize the threat of flunking for what it truly is – a valuable teaching tool. It reflects the confidence of both teachers and parents that students are capable of learning the material.

However, making this work requires a dedicated, collaborative effort between teachers and parents. It means accepting the difficult truth that passing students who haven't learned the material, while seemingly sparing them short-term grief, condemns them to long-term illiteracy. It means teachers must follow through on their threats, and parents must stand behind them, understanding that their children's futures are at stake. No more completing assignments for Scott because he might fail. No more passing Jodi because she's a nice kid.

This is a policy that has proven effective in the past and can be successful again. A wise teacher, with the support of parents, gave our son the opportunity to either succeed or fail. It's time we offer this same opportunity to all students.