Grade Repetition in Primary Schools in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Evidence Base for Change

Is the practice of repetition beneficial for children?

Learners who have not fully mastered the curriculum or achieved a certain academic standard are made to repeat the academic year. The author reviews literature on the pedagogical, psychological and financial impacts of repetition.

Repetition practices are embedded in cultural and historical traditions that are not necessarily pedagogically founded. The author concludes that repetition has few pedagogical benefits and is financial inefficient, and makes recommendations for policy reforms. She adds that reforms must also address reasons behind poor attendance, quality and relevance of teaching and provide sufficient support to teachers in order to effectively tackle the problem of repetition.