What are your experiences with skipping a grade?

[Chocaholic]

Hi everybody,

Due to my twins' age (they are 9 years old, in grade 3 and will be turning 10 in November) - they will most likely have to skip grade 4 when we arrive in Oz end of this year. They are both very bright children and at the top of their respective classes here. However, although both myself and a friend of mine who is a grade 4 teacher had a look at the government website we couldn't make out exactly whether the Australian children are on par, behind or ahead of the children in the same grade over here.

Basically. I am trying to figure out, whether my children would then indeed miss out on an entire grade or whether what is being taught in Oz in say grade 4 is more or less the same as our kids are getting taught here in grade 4 or (maybe due to the age of the kids) rather more like what our kids here do in grade 3?Actually - if this is not too much hassle - it would be really great if someone could give me a short example what children are doing over there in grade 4 in Maths...

And of course, I would like to hear from those of you, who have actually gone through this - what was your experience? Did your children cope well?

And those of you, who did not let their children skip a grade despite their age - how was your experience in that case, especially if your children were up to 1,5 to 2 years older than most of the kids in their class?

At the moment my children are getting extra tuition in Maths and English - so they are basically now doing grade3 and 4 Maths and English at the same time (the poor things) - they are coping very well though, however, I am wondering if all that stress is actually really necessary?

I hope to hear from you guys soon (as this is giving me sleepless nights...

You are welcome to PM me or send me an e-mail to tprice@xsinet.co.za if you prefer

Thanks so much, Tanja

[Eva]

Our experience..... CRAP!

My middle son should have gone into grade 8. Here is was put into grade 9. He was an average student. Did well in subjects that interest him and average to below average in ones that didn't. And that would vary during the year with the content taught in a particular subject too. So in Grade 7 in RSA he got in the 80s for one term of whatever they call Geography nowadays but then 50s the next term for example.

I think grade 8 is rather a critical year to skip because lots of foundation stuff is taught, especially in maths which has never been one of his strengths anyway.

Now he is in grade 10 and battling. Just spoke to his teachers last week and complained about missing out of year 8 and its like a penny dropped, now they see why there are gaps and he is struggling. But of course it is now our problem to send him for tutoring.

Maybe being that young as your kids the gaps may not be so big.

I wish I had thrown my toys out of the cot and stamped my feet and refused to put him up a year.

But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, so now we are left to deal with the fallout of a bad decisions forced on us by the school.

It seems the school work is pretty much similar to RSA from what I have seen with my kids.

But that could vary from state to state... where are you headed?

[baileyroadrunner]

I totally agree that skipping a grade is not good advice. My child started grade 1 in SA and missed 2 months of school while we were in the process of moving to OZ. When we enrolled her here they wanted to put her in grade 4 and it did not take long to realise that it was way beyond her capabilities. We managed to get her back to grade 1 but it set her back.

Remember that it is not only the contents of the work that the children have to cope with but the whole change of country, school systems and a very different classroom culture in Australia. Many factors contribute to their adjustment.

I personally would put my children in the same grade as what they were last in in SA and once they have settled and should you find that they are ahead and bored in their class request that they move them up a grade.

Better for the child to look like a legend when moving up one grade than looking like a loser when they struggle and have to get help and need to be in a lower grade than first thought.

Bailey

[ajvr]

Hi

Going to NSW is not a problem. My kids stayed in the same grade. We moved from NSW to QLD after 6 months. My kids skipped a grade. It is still early to comment, but I do realise that parents do not have as much input to their kids education. In SA parents helped their kids too much in my opinion. SA parents who helped their kids a lot feel out of control. Kids are evaluated at school and not on their parent’s handy work.

What I do suggest is that kids don’t go from primary to high school when they do skip a grade. And get help at your school. I got both my kids to attend English second language lessons. My son didn’t struggle as much but I asked for the help en they helped him with writing stories and math vocab. My daughter was in Grade 1 when we came here and being Afrikaans and sounded in Afrikaans had many sounding problems. They helped her so much.

Ajvr

[HouseInOz]

Do take time to evaluate VERY VERY carefully where to place them (grade) - the actual school will also make a big difference.

Both my children were initially kept behaind (older than classmates) due to Northern/Southern hemispehere school difference in school years. They were always older and that cause social problems, but their confidence stays intact and helped with the adjustment in a new country, school, culture, etc.

This year they both skipped grades as school thought they were ready - once again the social aspects caused problems - both still get a lot of "it is unfair that you did not do xyz grade" But starting at a new school and skipping a grade should be okay, as nobody would "know" they skipped a grade.

All in all I do think children should be with their peers - children do not like the idea of "older or younger" children in the class. In childhood a few months = to a MAJOR difference in social, ability, physical and intellect. Also when it comes to sport the children are "out of age" - they compete against younger/older children. At Sunday school and week end sport - children are together with the "same grade" kids.

My 2c worth!

[Eva]

Within any year there are always children who are a little older or a little younger, personally I can't see the age thing being that big a deal if it is one year. And from what I have heard the kids from other States in Australia can be older than Qld in that grade when people move and it makes no difference.

[Heymanse]

When we left South Africa in 2008 my son was in Grade 6 in Primary School. His birthday is also in November and I kept him back a year when he initially started school in SA. So when we came to Australia and wanted to enrol him at the local Primary School here, we were told that he was too old to be with the other kids in Year 6 and he had to skip the remainder of Year 6 and be enrolled as a Year 7 student. Now as if this wasn't bad enough, Year 7 here in Australia is in High School. So he had to deal with a LOT of adjustments, new country, new school, high school instead of primary school etc. etc. Needless to say, he had a rough start. Due to his bad marks last year as well as a few other boys in the school, they've formed a new "boys only" class in Year 9 and Year 12. The boys get special attention and advice from teachers which is great. Whether or not the fact that he had to skip a year contributed to his bad marks I cannot say for certain. I personally think he didn't spent enough times behind his books to study. He enjoys the subjects that he has chosen for Year 9 & 10 emensely because it is something that he is very much interested in (computers) so does good in it, whereas other subjects might lag behind a bit. If your children is currently doing very well at school I don't foresee any problems with them adjusting here.

[sugan]

Hi everybody,

Due to my twins' age (they are 9 years old, in grade 3 and will be turning 10 in November) - they will most likely have to skip grade 4 when we arrive in Oz end of this year. They are both very bright children and at the top of their respective classes here. However, although both myself and a friend of mine who is a grade 4 teacher had a look at the government website we couldn't make out exactly whether the Australian children are on par, behind or ahead of the children in the same grade over here.

Basically. I am trying to figure out, whether my children would then indeed miss out on an entire grade or whether what is being taught in Oz in say grade 4 is more or less the same as our kids are getting taught here in grade 4 or (maybe due to the age of the kids) rather more like what our kids here do in grade 3?Actually - if this is not too much hassle - it would be really great if someone could give me a short example what children are doing over there in grade 4 in Maths...

And of course, I would like to hear from those of you, who have actually gone through this - what was your experience? Did your children cope well?

And those of you, who did not let their children skip a grade despite their age - how was your experience in that case, especially if your children were up to 1,5 to 2 years older than most of the kids in their class?

At the moment my children are getting extra tuition in Maths and English - so they are basically now doing grade3 and 4 Maths and English at the same time (the poor things) - they are coping very well though, however, I am wondering if all that stress is actually really necessary?

I hope to hear from you guys soon (as this is giving me sleepless nights...

You are welcome to PM me or send me an e-mail to tprice@xsinet.co.za if you prefer

Thanks so much, Tanja

Hey tanja

Its an interesting one.be extremely careful about pushing kids up as different kids cope at different levels.sometimes kids who go up a year struggle-its not only academics-also emotionally.Recent studies have actuallt shown that kids who are older in a grade do better!Thisis contrary to our beliefs especially in SA.

I would try to keep them in he same gradeEG if they finish grade 4 in SA then go to Grade 5 in aus.If the child is very talented then they will cope=however you will only know afterward.As long as they are not pushed back then it is fine.hope this helps

cheers

[LeeInOz]

Our childern were 9 and 12 and both skipped a grade. We were told they would be assisted if they struggled by skipping a grade. Needless to say they were happy at 11 years vs 12 of school. Our oldest went straight to grade 8 skipping 7, and our youngest skipped 4 and went into 5.

Our older child is in Uni and did OK. She had more difficulty because we moved cities again when she was in Grade 11 half way through the year and ended up covering some things trwice, and having to catch up some missed stuff.

Our younger is getting A in all subjects. He was accepted into QASMT but decided travel time was to much.

The only difficulty he had was in History but after a short while was up to speed. It was the best thing for them.

I would not think it would be a good idea in the last 2 years of school because the two kind of fit together. I also understand non english speakers needing to have an extra year to adjust, but I know of several who have with no problems.

[Serendipity]

We have just enrolled our girls into the local primary school, our eldest aged 12 was given the option of staying in grade 6 or moving over to the high school for grade 7 - we discussed it and decided that it would be in her best interest to allow her to finish grade 6, as she only did term 1 this year in RSA - sometimes skipping part of a school grade or whole year is not always the best thing.

At the end of the day its up to you - they will no doubt give you the option but your say is the final one.

Unless you are 100% confident that your children will cope, also taking into account things like maturity and general growth against other children in the higher grade, this is over and above their capability of being able to do the work standard, then go for it.

All the best

[Eva]

At the end of the day its up to you - they will no doubt give you the option but your say is the final one.

No true Serendipity... we were not given the option.

Grade 9 or they wouldn't accept our son as they claimed there was no room in Grade 8 and we didn't have a home, so were not zoned for the school.

[LindyM]

Hi Tanja

When we arrived in Perth -over 10 yrs ago- they were very insistant the kids went with their age groups. So My son started Yr1 even tho he had only just turned 5, both my daughters went up a grade - one skipping yr 10 and going to yr11 and the other missing yr 7 and going to yr8. The only one who battled was the older daughter going to yr11. After one term I could see she was totally lost so ended up moving schools so she could go back to doing her missed Yr 10 grade. That worked perfectly and she did very well. I do think it depends on the child -emotionally and acaedemically . I wouldnt suggest doing it in the High school as they do miss out.

When we returned to SA, my son had just completed Yr 6 ( age10 for most of the yr) . Back in SA they would not let him do Yr7- felt his age was against him ( most boys were 13 yrs old) and he would not be able to compete with them so i repeated grade 6. I was able to see how the 2 compared as most of the time he had done it all. As far as education is concerned it is very similar- obviously the differences are in the History, Geography as the content is different. The English is very different -he learned grammar most of the time whereas in Auss it is more on analysis and essays and not on spelling! The maths was ok -Auss was further ahead in that they did a lot more allgebra in Grade 6. The teacher and i compared the syllabus as I had brought all his books with me and she agreed. The school had insisted SA education was far ahead of Auss ?! When we came back to Perth- they made him skip most of yr7 -he did one term only and there wasnt much to catch up on. I think he was lucky!

So let the school test them and they will be able to tell if they will cope or not. I have heard that schools are changing their rules and allowing the child to go to the grade he is meant to and not missing grades because it can cause many problems , like those mentioned above.

Dont let this give you sleepless nights! It will all work out well.

Lindy

[Chocaholic]

sniff - .....not feeling any better now - but thanks so much for all the replies so far - still hoping for someone who can give me input regarding skipping grades in Primary School - especially grade 4 - ...... as mentioned before - my twins would be on average 2 years older - not one - than the kids in their class if they continue in the grade in which they should be - I agree with those that say that socially that would not be a good idea......... They are both very mature .....

Just still worried how they would cope workwise - maybe I should go and try to find some Australian workbooks? Oh by they way - we are most likely heading for Perth - if not than to the Gold Coast - the final decision will most likely be made within the next few weeks......

Anyhow, thanks again everyone. Cheers, Tanja

[Tookie]

I totally agree that skipping a grade is not good advice. My child started grade 1 in SA and missed 2 months of school while we were in the process of moving to OZ. When we enrolled her here they wanted to put her in grade 4 and it did not take long to realise that it was way beyond her capabilities. We managed to get her back to grade 1 but it set her back.

Remember that it is not only the contents of the work that the children have to cope with but the whole change of country, school systems and a very different classroom culture in Australia. Many factors contribute to their adjustment.

I personally would put my children in the same grade as what they were last in in SA and once they have settled and should you find that they are ahead and bored in their class request that they move them up a grade.

Better for the child to look like a legend when moving up one grade than looking like a loser when they struggle and have to get help and need to be in a lower grade than first thought.

Bailey

I have to totally agree with you. We also missed 3 months of school while getting all the paperwork etc together. When we arrived in Perth my son was put into year 4 and after 3 weeks of battling with the school work because he was finding it too difficult with the changes. I went to see the principal and requested that my son be put down to year 3. The school was not totally happy with my request and I had interviews with the teachers and the school psychologist and it was decided that they would move him down to year 3. My son was a different child, the work was at a level he was doing back in SA and he was able to focus on fitting into his new school environment, which was far more important at that stage of his life. He is in year 8 now and we have never regretted our decision. He is a year older than his peers, which is totally irrelevant, except when he gets his drivers license before them!

Cheers

[Serendipity]

No true Serendipity... we were not given the option.

Grade 9 or they wouldn't accept our son as they claimed there was no room in Grade 8 and we didn't have a home, so were not zoned for the school.

Well just shows that each school is different - we were given the option and decided to keep her out of secondary for the rest of the year.

[AndreaL]

Hi there

Here is a link for the W.A. education department WA edu have a look at that to get an idea of the education system, alternatively, use the find a school link, roughly guess where you would end up if you went to W.A. and contact a few of the schools by email asking for a guide to the year 4 curriculum.

My daughter skipped year 2 and went into the middle of year 3, she has had no problems.

Another possibility is to look at a split class, if the school has a year4/5 class, that might be an option.

Also look at the learning place, you may get some examples there.

I would not worry too much as from what I have seen, years 3, 4, and 5 seem to be quite similar with regard to math, it's just that it gets more comprehensive as they get to the year 5 stage.

If your kids need help they will be offered extra tuition, there are also free on-line tutors either through your local library and I believe McDonalds has just launched an on-line tutor program.

Your kids are young enough to adapt, and as long as you keep an eye on things they should not have a problem.

I would not recommend skipping grades in secondary school unless the child is really good at adapting.

You will find some differences between the various states, we are only getting to a national curriculum standard now.

If I can come up with any other resources I will pass them on to you- good luck and try not to worry too much, if you put them in a particular grade and it is not working, you can always ask for a change or even change schools- the first couple of years in Australia are about learning and adapting to what fits best for your family.

[KathyW]

Our experience..... CRAP!

My middle son should have gone into grade 8. Here is was put into grade 9. He was an average student. Did well in subjects that interest him and average to below average in ones that didn't. And that would vary during the year with the content taught in a particular subject too. So in Grade 7 in RSA he got in the 80s for one term of whatever they call Geography nowadays but then 50s the next term for example.

I think grade 8 is rather a critical year to skip because lots of foundation stuff is taught, especially in maths which has never been one of his strengths anyway.

Now he is in grade 10 and battling. Just spoke to his teachers last week and complained about missing out of year 8 and its like a penny dropped, now they see why there are gaps and he is struggling. But of course it is now our problem to send him for tutoring.

Maybe being that young as your kids the gaps may not be so big.

I wish I had thrown my toys out of the cot and stamped my feet and refused to put him up a year.

But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, so now we are left to deal with the fallout of a bad decisions forced on us by the school.

It seems the school work is pretty much similar to RSA from what I have seen with my kids.

But that could vary from state to state... where are you headed?

Eva, I totally agree with you, the same thing happened to my daughter, when we left SA she was in Std 5. and very proud that they were now the seniors of the Primary School, then came in the April, so nearly second term here and I was told I had no option because of her age she had to be put up, she turned 13 in that year August.

Now today she is also in Year 10 and not doing so fantastic as her buddies are, who are Australian and had that extra year.

Shame, to think that they had to start off in a new Country, now juniors in a High School, and had to mature over night to cope with the new pressures and stresses that came with being the little one now amongst these big kids.

I think Primary.......maybe okay...........High School like Eva and my kids, a big No No, insist for them to remain in the same year as they left South Africa.

My 2c worth....

Good Luck

[Alrae Goodall]

i will share my experience and hope it gives you additional info to chew on and does not confuse further.

When we arrived i thought it would be expecting a lot for my children to skip a grade, so youngest went from grade 2 in SA, into Grade 3 in QLD. (Pvt school, so they never even tested him or anything to see what would be the best fit)

He was a bright student, doing well in grade 1 and grade 2 in SA and by nature he is also emotionally very mature, independant child. Has an older brother, so that adds to it.

In hindsight, I now realise how difficult it was for him to fit into the grade 3 class, children were a year younger - all being dropped off by mums, was even one little boy who did not want his mum to leave in the mornings. They were at different stages to him - he was bursting to be independant and most were not there yet.

Physically he did not stand out as being bigger, but athletically he stood out as being ahead of most. First few days they did not want him to join in the breaktime soccer games etc 'cos he was too good. He settled and soon made very good friends, but he was never 100% happy.

We then considered changing him to the local state school and realised the state schools prefer that they are in the correct age group, which would mean him skipping a grade. At the interview with school principal he pointed out that they all working at different stages in English/ literacy anyway. The important thing was that his writing skills were good enough for him to perform the tasks/projects required of a grade 5 student. In maths it would be expected that there were some maths principals which he would not have been taught, but the school has a computer programme, called "Mathletics" which meant that he could catch up on his own.

So we made the decision that it would actually be better for him to skip the grade, I would make sure he did some extra maths every afternoon and hopefully it would be all good.

So, one term later I have to say he is more than 100% happy.

Has a group of boys from the neighbourhood that all walk to school together and socially I think he feels more at home. Workwise, his teacher could not believe that he has skipped a grade. He goes onto the "Mathletics" website about 3 times a week as some extra practice and he is understanding everything.

My older son was fine not skipping a grade. He is now in grade 8 while others his age are in grade 9 and it really does not seem to be an issue.

My Points are:

* All children are different, do think about each one seperately.

* When children start grade 1 the year they turning 7, all of the children are very ready and I think they hit the road running in SA. So perhaps they cover more work in grade 1 & 2

than the Australian children. (Just wondering)

* So, if your children in those lower grades, skipping a grade is not such a big deal.

* Consider their social/ emotional development.

Some things you could do:

* NAPLAN (National tests) are written in grade 3, 5, 7 and 9 in numeracy and literacy.

You could find examples of these tests - of course no child is expected to answer all questions correctly.

* For QLD the curriculum can be found on queensland studies authority www.qsa.edu.qld.au so it should be possible to see what is covered in grade 3 etc. This is also the website where you will find examples of Naplan tests.

Regards Alrae

[Zaffergirl]

Hi everybody,

Due to my twins' age (they are 9 years old, in grade 3 and will be turning 10 in November) - they will most likely have to skip grade 4 when we arrive in Oz end of this year. They are both very bright children and at the top of their respective classes here. However, although both myself and a friend of mine who is a grade 4 teacher had a look at the government website we couldn't make out exactly whether the Australian children are on par, behind or ahead of the children in the same grade over here.

Basically. I am trying to figure out, whether my children would then indeed miss out on an entire grade or whether what is being taught in Oz in say grade 4 is more or less the same as our kids are getting taught here in grade 4 or (maybe due to the age of the kids) rather more like what our kids here do in grade 3?Actually - if this is not too much hassle - it would be really great if someone could give me a short example what children are doing over there in grade 4 in Maths...

And of course, I would like to hear from those of you, who have actually gone through this - what was your experience? Did your children cope well?

And those of you, who did not let their children skip a grade despite their age - how was your experience in that case, especially if your children were up to 1,5 to 2 years older than most of the kids in their class?

At the moment my children are getting extra tuition in Maths and English - so they are basically now doing grade3 and 4 Maths and English at the same time (the poor things) - they are coping very well though, however, I am wondering if all that stress is actually really necessary?

I hope to hear from you guys soon (as this is giving me sleepless nights...

You are welcome to PM me or send me an e-mail to tprice@xsinet.co.za if you prefer

Thanks so much, Tanja

Both my kids skipped a grade. When we arrived my daughter (then 14yo) was in year 8 (First year in High School) and even though she didn't even finish her year 8, she was put into year 10 in January. My son (then 10yo) was in year 4 and was put into year 6. They both coped very well and we certainly had no serious problems. In fact my daughters grades improved! They are now 16 and 12 and they're both doing great at school. With this said, neither of them had any problems with school and learning in S.A. Obviously this would very much depend on each child's personality and abilities.

The only thing I would have to say is that because our kids are more immature than the Aussie kids, it was hard for me as a parent to see them having to grow up so quickly. My son is now 12 and next year he will be going to High School, and I'm still trying to come to terms as to me he seems like just a little boy and it feels like I'll be throwing him to the "lions". But I have to admit that he has grown up a lot and is more responsible and maybe it's not such a bad thing after all.

Wishing you all the best.

[Chocaholic]

Hi - thanks for info - feeling much better now!!! Have to rush - on our way to airport. Hope there will be loads more info when I am back in a few days - thanks everyone, Tanja

[LeeInOz]

sniff - .....not feeling any better now - but thanks so much for all the replies so far - still hoping for someone who can give me input regarding skipping grades in Primary School - especially grade 4 - ...... as mentioned before - my twins would be on average 2 years older - not one - than the kids in their class if they continue in the grade in which they should be - I agree with those that say that socially that would not be a good idea......... They are both very mature .....

Anyhow, thanks again everyone. Cheers, Tanja

We were told the reason they try to get children in similar age classes is because when they are in the last grades the childern that are a year or more older can become disruptive.

Our children started at a private school that did grade 1 to 12 although the high school children were seperated at break.

Our son would have gone into grade 4 but skipped to 5.

He was not doing OK in South Africa, but disliked school. He likes school here. he has gone from being quiet and withdrawn in to a pleasant outgoing person, with wonderful grades. At the end of the year if they are not coping, the school will keep them back at that age (what we were told anyway, but it never happened).

At that age I believe they really are very adaptive and should easily fit in.

One thing that was very different to South Africa, they get more assignments and need research tools so we made many library trips and got a bigger ADSL download.

[Nix]

My friend arrived at the end of last year (nov) and BOTH her kids had to skip a grade. They are in grade 4 adn grade 6. They have had no problems at all. If you are interested in talking to her, PM me and I'll forward you her contact details. She would be only too willing to answer your questions.

Cheers

Nix

[Goldie]

We moved to NSW first, so there was no skipping of grades. Then last year, we moved up to Qld and both girls had to jump up to the next grade, half way through the school year. I found this very concerning, especially because my younger daughter tends to struggle.

I wasn't given the option. I was just told, that they were slotted in with children their own age and they'd be fine. My older daughter has always been more academic and she has coped just fine. More than fine in fact....she got 5 B's and 3 A's at the end of last year and is now in grade 8, doing extremely well. The younger daughter has struggled along. When I asked at the end of last year that she be kept back, so that she could repeat year 5 from the start (she had done year 4 up till June), they told me that I'd find myself with a fight on my hands and that from previous experience, they have found the children to suffer psychologically over the long term by being kept back We, like Eva, have had to fork out for extra lessons to try and get her to catch up.

My other concern is that both girls have birthdays right at the end of the year. As it works out they will both only turn 17 as they finish year 12 and will be 17 for 11 months of their first year out of school. My son on the other hand is in prep and he'll be turning 18 in year 12. That's due to the prep year only having been newly introduced to Qld.

Candice

[mom of 3]

Our oldest went up from grade 4 to 5 when we arrived a month ago!! She is in a class with children her own age. At the interview prior to enrollment they tested her maths and english skills to make sure she would be fine. The school also put her with an expat SA teacher to help her adjust! I must say I have only great things to say about the school in QLD. The teachers are great, our middle daughter is in a prep and Grade 1 class which is joined as she had already started reading back in SA and the HOD didn't want to hold her back! She is, however, the first to be picking up on the aussie alphabet which AICH being HAITCH!! It is to cute!!

Good Luck

J

[Hangel]

I am one of those who skipped a grade many moons ago. If I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now I would advise my parents not to do it. I saw it as being punished for having a thirst for knowledge and have become an underachiever and lazy since then.Since my parents were not aware of what I was capable of they were quite happy with 80% which was real easy to achieve.(By the time I went to university I couldn't cope,not because I lacked the brains but because I did not know how to study as I haven't studied at school). I have been removed from my social group and had to cope with a new social situation. To cope with the academic side of things wasn't a problem and I was back at the top within 3 months. But because on my first day in the new grade I had to write a maths test with the rest of the class about fractions which I haven't covered yet I got a real dislike in maths which is a subject I loved before that.I was also considered very mature for my age which is to be expected when you are the only 8 year old in a household where the second youngest was 18 years old.But this might have contributed to my negative perseption of the situation more than if I was less mature.

Seeing as you are moving countries you are already removing them from their comfort zone and social group. Other than that there is the cultural differences they'll have to adapt to. In my opinion even if they remain in the same grade they are now,there will still be academic topics that is covered over here of which they have never heard of in RSA with which they will have to cope with. By letting them skip a grade you will just increase the academic load on top of the social and cultural adaption. In my opinion it is not a good idea if you have a choice.