twins

i just finished reading this ny times article about putting twins together in the same classroom. not exactly international news, but i think it's actually quite an interesting issue - probably in no small part because i myself am a twin.

the article points to an educational system in the US that in the past generally prevented twins from being placed in the same classroom, citing the need to build individual identities and prevent competitiveness as well as minimize the potential of "de facto social cliques" forming. on the other hand, the article refers to current research indicating that separating twins - especially identical twins - at an early age may cause anxiety and emotional distress.

which argument is valid? i think both, to a certain degree. when my twin and i [fraternal, by the way, and different genders] were kids, the school system did its best to keep us separated. throughout elementary and middle school, we were always placed in different classes - to a degree. the school system had only one set of honors and music performance classes, and as a result we were always together for at least one or two class periods a day. by the time we got to high school and were 'tracked' into honors and advanced placement [AP] classes, we had nearly identical class schedules.
my family spent a year in jerusalem when we were in 9th grade, and we had to fight to be placed in the same class. here the considerations were a little bit different: as students without total comfort using hebrew as an academic language, and knowing nobody in the school, it was important to us to be able to support each other socially and academically.

so, were there any problems? in retrospect, i think there was some underlying competition and a sense of being too close for comfort at times. by the time we got to college [and we went to the same college, by the way] we both needed a whole lot of breathing room. and after college, we lived on different continents for nearly four years before coming back to the same country - and now city - and re-establishing a relationship as very good friends in addition to siblings.
still, i don't think that the time we did spend together in the classroom undermined our individuality or ability to interact socially with our peers. [twin, parents, what do you think?]

i don't think this is a black and white issue. clearly my own experience was not entirely good or bad [though mostly good, i think]. if it's not a black and white issue, though, it shouldn't be treated like one: instead of parents having to fight against a rigid system decrying the possibility of twin togetherness, it's important to keep the option open. in other words, some flexibility in the system is good.