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No decision is irreversible

Separation is not something that must be decided before the start of school and adhered to rigidly thereafter. In the Australian study, three out of every four sets were kept together in the first year of school and often it was the school that advised they keep each other company in this first year in a new environment. Separation became more common in the second year of school, and by the third year under half the twins were still in the same class.

It must be remembered that children do change, especially during the first year of school:

"The twins I teach (as in previous years) have been in their first year of school. They start off fairly dependent on each other because they are immature, but as they get more security from the other children in the class, they seem to go their own ways and become single members in the class. I?ve found in times of trouble they protect and support each other. That?s when I just wish the others in the class were so lucky!"

Of more importance, about one in four of the sets separated one year, were back together in the same class the next year. For various reasons separation at this stage had not worked out for these pairs. Schools aware of the needs of multiple birth children build flexibility into the system. Parents, teachers and the children themselves need to be reassured that there is continual monitoring and opportunities to change the situation if the need arises.