Hi All,
Initially, I was uncertain about whether I should write this post (as it might be controversial), but this is the only place where I can seek input from this wonderful community.
This discussion is merely to gauge what lessons were learned as retrospectives and share with others.
Background:
My son participated in this year's Victoria Selective School exam (Exam for Year 9). He had been diligently preparing for the past 9-10 months leading up to the exam, attending multiple tuition sessions, both at large, well-established tuition centers and private ones. Additionally, he devoted himself to studying beyond his school curriculum for about 2 months before the exam, completing numerous practice test papers. While the cost of these tuition sessions was substantial, I didn't mind spending the money on his education as long as it benefited him.
I want to clarify that I encouraged him to take the exam, but he was willing to do so of his own accord.
He had the potential to succeed, as he is considered an A+ student in his current school.
The results:
He performed exceptionally well on his mock-up exams, so we were quite confident that he would succeed. He performed very well in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning, categorising them as Top and Above Average, However, the actual results were very disappointing especially on the writing and verbal reasoning, well below expectations. He told me that he had the best sleep and was able to concentrate during the exam.
I am proud of what he has done, but I want to learn from this setback.
It is a very challenging experience.
How do I take this as a lesson learned? What went wrong? I doubt the department will revisit this case as it has been decided.
All suggestions are welcome.
Thank you for all the comments! Most of the comments are very supportive, encouraging, and enlightening. Please continue to do so.
I hope some of you will find this thread useful.
However, there are a small number of comments that have resorted to personal attacks on my son (e.g., not good enough, etc.). These comments do not reflect the Ozbargain community and the broader principles of humanity.
Thank you so much for your great and supportive advice.
I have commended his tremendous motivation and effort, and I support him all the way. When he asked me, "Can I have this tuition to help with the test?" I said, "Yes, whatever you need." So, it is abundantly clear that there is no pushing, forcing, or any of the misconceptions that some people may have.
He also actively engages in other extracurricular activities and holds leadership roles at school, making him a well-rounded individual. Additionally, he spends time playing games for a few hours a day and socializing with his friends online, striking a balance in his life.
Unfortunately, a small number of individuals in this community persistently post judgmental or negative comments, wrongly assuming that I forced him to study and take the test, labeling me as a terrible father, and suggesting I should leave the child alone, despite my repeated explanations, it is not the case.
We have now concluded this chapter of his journey. As I mentioned earlier, I initiated this discussion to share our experiences and learn from them, as well as to hear about the experiences of others like yourself.
Most importantly, if this discussion proves useful to people on a similar journey, that would be great!