The right to fail Education and Learning
Although the global community has made remarkable progress in reducing child poverty and ensuring quality primary and secondary education, millions of children are still not getting what they need to learn. Weak government monitoring mechanisms, lack of zero-discrimination policies, and unchecked power wielded by school officials as to who goes to school and who stays out are all contributing factors in this sorry state of affairs.
The right to fail a student's education
This is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach to tackle. Among the most important elements of this challenge are: (a) providing effective support to students who need it; and (b) enabling the student to navigate the system without falling foul of unintended consequences or harming their academic performance.
The Right to Fail in Higher Education
In the United States, a recent wave of nationwide reforms has put an emphasis on the "right to fail" by reducing or eliminating remediation in favor of accelerated college courses. In its simplest form, this strategy is designed to increase graduation rates by sending more students into the college of their choice.
This has been a controversial topic among educators and students alike, but there is no denying that the right to fail is a serious issue that should be addressed by policymakers across the country. In particular, there is an opportunity for universities to play a key role in mitigating the risk of failure by putting into practice a few lessons learned from past experience.
In the spirit of transparency and accountability, we have published a special report on the right to fail in higher education that looks at a number of issues related to this challenge and offers some recommendations to help students overcome these obstacles. The report is a companion to the new book Failing Our Children: Why Schools Are Out of Reach and What We Can Do About It, which is released this month.
