Lisa Daxer
Maintains a memorial site for disabled homicide victims
64w ago
Abigail and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twins. Each controls one half of their shared body. They have always had separate grades and report cards through elementary school, high school, and college. It helps that each twin controls one hand, and so can write her own exams. Abby is better at math, and Brittany is better at writing.
Asher Evans
Student, knows about the school system
65w ago
Kind of, it depends on the school.
I watched a documentary on a pair of Siamese Twins and they shared one grade for every subject with the exception of English class, since it relies heavily on class participation and each twin can think/speak independently.
Sascha Atrops
Diplom Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences (2005)
63w ago
Conjoined twins are two brains with too few arms and/or legs.
Let’s invert this question: If a person has too few arms and/or legs does he only get a half report card and fractions of a grade or is assumpted that his single brain deserves the same attention as the single brain of every other person?
Read your question: You ask about twinS. That’s more than just one. They are two persons. I think that counts more than the amount of bodies.
Connor Cuevo
61w ago
I don’t know very much about this subject, but I do know that contrary to what has been said here. Not all conjoined twins are two separate brains. There is at least one set of Craniopagus (conjoined at the head) twins that shares a brain. I can’t answer for that family or those twins, but I think it certainly complicates things.
In that case, You would think that they might go to a special school that would have it’s own criteria. If they share a single brain then undoubtedly they should receive a single grade. From what doctors can tell, both twins have equal and unrestricted access to the brain and it’s knowledge, as well as awareness of each other’s communication and thoughts. Shared knowledge of the latter would be essential for any critical work to be completed and submitted as one grade. And if they will always be this way, then I see no reason not to recognize their abilities.
Participation wise, they might get two separate grades. They have their own personalities distinct from each other and as a result, they might not care about one subject or another. Again, I would leave it up to the teacher to distinguish.
For a set of Bicephalic twins (one body two separate heads) I would think they should submit their own assignments, but if I were their teacher I would not prevent them from working together. The issue of cheating would come up, but ethically, if they are never going to be apart, then why should they be deprived of each other for the test.
If I was their GYM teacher, it would be more complicated. You could argue that since the twins share a single functional body, then their should be one grade. Qualitatively though, I have heard that for Bicephalic twins, one twin often controls half of the body and vice versa. Thus, their participation could be seen as a group effort, for if one wasn’t trying as hard and it was slowing them down, I might note this.
I don’t know any conjoined twins, so these are just my thoughts.
Bekzod Ruzmetov
works at Self-Employment
60w ago
Given their conditions (so complicated and heartbreaking), one needs to approach each case separately in favor of such twins’ preferences. They want separate grades or one common, just ask them. It is impossible to paint them with a broad brush.
Arely Tereza Sims
Dreamer.
63w ago
I would assume so. They are after all, different people.
My question is how do they take the SATs, and ACTs? Just because they are so “serious”, and people are always worried about students cheating.
John Katt
teacher with 25 years of experience (linguistic, French, English, elementary)
63w ago
I guess we could always put a band over one of the twins’ eyes to make it 100% true.
At the same time, they will always work at something as one. So, does it really matter. However, maybe they want to know.
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