Oops Wrong Rank

[Rateh]

Six weeks ago I started a Martial Arts program at a community school in my area. I have eight students aged 6 to 13. They sign up in six week sessions, so I set it up to have them test at the end of every six weeks (I devided the ranks down for more stripes, so that everyone has an opportunity to advance). The six week sessions is set up by the community school, not me.

So today they tested, and it turns out I added wrong and gave the wrong rank. (My calculator was broken so I added the scores by hand). A boy of seven should have gotten a stripe on his White belt, and instead ended up with a Yellow belt. It was a few points difference, but enough to change the rank I gave him. This wouldn't be too big of a problem (I could just grade him harder the next test to even it out...) except a girl in the class aged 9 got nearly identical scores, and only got the White belt with one stripe.

So now I have to decide what to do about it. I won't see the kids for another two weeks, when the next session starts again. I see three options.

Option 1 - Take away the boys rank and give him his rightful White belt with 1 stripe. I don't see this as a good option, because the boy is seven and its hardly his fault I added wrong. This is however the most honest option.

Option 2 - On the first class of the next session, tell the girl and her parents that I added the scores incorrectly and she really earned a Yellow belt. This is not totally true, I did add them incorrectly, but she didn't earn a Yellow belt. This is the fairest option that I can see.

Option 3 - Don't say anything to anyone, at the end of the session come testing it won't make any difference anyways. This is the easiest option, however its not being honest to the two students involved, they simply will have no idea that anything occured.

I have two weeks to find a solution, any ideas will be appreciated.

PS. I make the score sheets on excell. I already set up excell today to add up the scores for me next time. I'll just bring my laptop to the test and enter them on site. This will eliminate the problem occuring again.

[DWx]

Hmm, I'd go with the second option or maybe the third. There's nothing worse than a kid getting all excited about having acheived a belt and then you saying "oops, my maths went wrong, sorry you can't have it". Especially at such a young it age, it would probably destroy his confidence. I'd just award them both higher belts but train them and test them harder next time.

Plus its a bunch of kids, the lower grade belts wont matter that much...

[username8517]

I would go with a slightly different version of Option 2. I would first tell the parents (then bring the child over and tell her in front of the parents) that you added incorrectly and that she didn't reach a yellow belt level, however her performance was above the rank she was going for (white with a stripe) and that you are going to let her keep the yellow rank as a show of both faith and confidence but she will probably not get to test the next time a testing comes up (this will basically equal out her testing for a yellow belt).

[patusai]

I would go with a slightly different version of Option 2. I would first tell the parents (then bring the child over and tell her in front of the parents) that you added incorrectly and that she didn't reach a yellow belt level, however her performance was above the rank she was going for (white with a stripe) and that you are going to let her keep the yellow rank as a show of both faith and confidence but she will probably not get to test the next time a testing comes up (this will basically equal out her testing for a yellow belt).

I like this option with the addition of bringing up the other student who was involved in the error that was mentioned and tell that student the pretty much the same thing except your rasing her rank to yellow.

Ok, so it may not be the tough guy way of doing it but then [1] these are kids. [2] it's karate and not brain surgery and [3] I am an old softy.

Good luck

[AngelaG]

Well I think Option 1 is a non-starter. You cannot strip a 7 year old boy of his rank because you made a mistake; you know he would be very upset, his parent's would be angry and you run the risk of losing a student. You would probably feel so bad afterwards too.

Option 2 involves you lying in order to try and right a perceived wrong. I don't think this is the way to go, if it's ever found out about your mistake then people will get upset about being lied to (even though your intentions are honourable).

Option 3 does not involve lying, but it does seem a bit unfair to the girl.

How about when the children come back you keep an eye on the young girl and see if she does something really good... then maybe award her a yellow belt because you think that she shows the aptitude for being a yellow belt (as you said she was only a few points off anyway).

However, really the girl has not been hard done by. She got exactly what she deserved... it was the boy that achieved something more than he earned. Perhaps you could just see that this time he got a lucky break because you made a mistake (we are but human!). It would be different if you added hers wrong and therefore she was down a grade on what she deserved (IMO).

[bushido_man96]

When in doubt, go with honesty. In the end, somebody may get hurt, but your integrity won't.

If you had not given the belts yet, then this wouldn't be a problem yet. Did you test and promote right away, or was there a waiting period?

[learning kempo-karate]

Hello, Just my opinion here.

Let it go....it was an honest mistake, those things do happen. On the next testing if she passes...give her a yellow belt.

The testing is over

BUT you can say to Parents of the YELLOW belt I give the wrong scores..but I will let the yellow be stay on..because he is showing improvements (be truthful). THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE SAID!

Time is the best way to heal things....in time the girl will earn a Yellow belt too!

LET IT GO!!! ..........Aloha

[Rateh]

Lots of good opinions so far, thanks guys. Haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet, but still plenty of time to make a decision. And bushido, because of the way the program is set up with six week sessions, I had to give the ranks the same day of the test. I couldn't waste an entire day of training for promotions. I couldn't give them at the next training because then that would mean that students HAD to sign up for the next session to get their rank from the one before, and thats not fair.

[bushido_man96]

Lots of good opinions so far, thanks guys. Haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet, but still plenty of time to make a decision. And bushido, because of the way the program is set up with six week sessions, I had to give the ranks the same day of the test. I couldn't waste an entire day of training for promotions. I couldn't give them at the next training because then that would mean that students HAD to sign up for the next session to get their rank from the one before, and thats not fair.

That all makes sense. The reason I wouldn't wait to even things out at the next testing is because, what if she doesn't pass? That is always a possibility, so why wait for it to happen?

[username8517]

I think one thing that needs to be kept in mind, regardless of which way you choose to go with this situation, is the age of the children involved. Whether you choose to be upfront about the situation or not, the fact is that both the boy and girl are ages 7 & 9 respectively--these children are learning more along the lines of techniques that will improve their gross motor skills rather than actual self-defense techniques and application.

Me, personally, because of this "limited" information and training they are receiving is why I would have no problem bending the rules and giving the girl a yellow belt in a situation like this. But then again, that's just me.