among the countries that practice grade repetition and that have relevant data available in estonia iceland ireland and israel the direct and opportunity costs of using grade repetition for one age group can be as low as or less of the annual national expenditure on primary and secondaryschool education or between usd and usd per repeater figure and oecd a table iv in belgium and the netherlands the cost is equivalent to or more of the annual national expenditure on primary and secondary education or as high as usd or more per repeater these estimates are based on the assumption that students who repeat grades attain lower secondary education at most as individual schools receive their funding in relation to the number of students enrolled they do not have to absorb those increased costs or bear the opportunity costs of lost output field kuczera and pont by contrast practices that can reduce the use of grade repetition such as personalised and intensive intervention very often have direct costs for schools