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THE OLD RULE OF THUMB

There was a time when the criterion for enrolling children into school was for the hand to go across their head to touch their ear. It was deemed practical and the proper judgement for establishing a child old enough to get an education.  Many of our parents experienced this because there was no documentation regarding age/birth certificates, so the logic was to ascertain a child's age by specific abilities. Take, for instance, Diana in 1985. The education standard for getting into school was from the age of 5. Diana's mother had painted beautiful pictures of a school's appearance and said that only sensible people were considered worthy of being a part of it. All Diana wanted to do was put on the new socks and shoes her mother had purchased. Diana dreamt of reciting the greeting the night before, 'Good morning, teacher; we are happy to see you; God bless you.' And so, Diana was taken to school that morning for enrolment. 'Fine girl, raise your right hand over y...
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THE OLD RULE OF THUMB


There was a time when the criterion for enrolling children into school was for the hand to go across their head to touch their ear. It was deemed practical and the proper judgement for establishing a child old enough to get an education. 

Many of our parents experienced this because there was no documentation regarding age/birth certificates, so the logic was to ascertain a child's age by specific abilities. Take, for instance, Diana in 1985. The education standard for getting into school was from the age of 5. Diana's mother had painted beautiful pictures of a school's appearance and said that only sensible people were considered worthy of being a part of it. All Diana wanted to do was put on the new socks and shoes her mother had purchased. Diana dreamt of reciting the greeting the night before, 'Good morning, teacher; we are happy to see you; God bless you.'

And so, Diana was taken to school that morning for enrolment. 'Fine girl, raise your right hand over your head and touch your ear,' the administrator said. Diana tried to bend her head, but her ear could still not feel the touch of her hand. 

'It is not yet time, fine girl.' 

'But my daughter clocked 5 two weeks ago, sir,' the mother confirmed. 'Madam, it is how we have been doing it since I can remember. I will advise you to return next year when she is grown.'

Diana and her mother went back home, and when she turned 6, she was still petite and was rejected again! Until a woman who recognised her from the past year put in a word, for she understood it was not a case of ability but stature. 

However, the rule of thumb is no longer based on experience or practice due to factors like alternative schooling options, a child's level of intelligence, working parents who need their kids to be engaged in resourceful activities and even the fast-growing rate of technology. 

Today, a two-year-old toddler can recite the alphabet; some can even spell mono-syllabic words and interact with adults fluently due to being enrolled in Montessori or kindergarten classes. 

Some have argued that children should be allowed to be children and wait until the traditional age (5) before being introduced to the four walls of a classroom or even home-schooling. It is pertinent to create a balance. If you are a parent and you know a child's strengths/weaknesses, you are in a better position to channel those attributes right. As the African proverb goes, wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. 

If you were a victim of the rule of thumb or have other views, please leave your thoughts below.

Don't Forget to Be Honest 

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Comments

  1. Anonymous4 May 2025 at 12:49

    I was a victim of a thumb-to-your-ear situation, and I remember crying as I watched my siblings go off to school while I stayed at home because of my stature. The silver lining was that it made me smarter than my peers in school. I can honestly say I wasn’t a crybaby in my first year, unlike other children who would cry and long for their parents. Thank God that system is no longer in place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EMMAWAD4 May 2025 at 13:09

      It must have been heart breaking for a child to feel left out. Thank God indeed.

      Delete

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