In some countries,
at secondary at high school, there may be two or three streams of studies,
academic or vocational. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this to
the students and the society of putting students at the two streams at the age
of 15?
Allocating students to diverse streams of studies is a
common practice almost all across the globe. This, as per certain experts, has
numerous benefits for the individual pupils and the society, but even so it
would be quite reckless to ignore the drawbacks of such a move.
Bifurcation of students into different domains of studies can
be highly beneficial in many aspects. Division of study domains is generally
based on inclination and abilities of the pupils. This system does not only
enable students to focus completely on domains – they may want to pursue, and save
a lot of time but also realize their potential, and be entrenched with
comprehensive knowhow of the professional realm, by the time they graduate from
their studies.
Furthermore, this system can prove to be highly advantageous
for the society too: the economy of a country can quickly harness the talents
of young professionals and academicians, in form of their contributions to the
economic productivity. These professionals, in their own domains, can bring
around other benefits too, e.g. these professionals do not only save money,
otherwise spent on training them, but also train others.
However, there are disadvantages galore in such a system.
Studying only in specific streams and avoiding others can make youngsters either
too mechanical, or too impractical. Drawing groups at such a young age when
pupils are immature, often results in the kids being locked forever in
incompatible occupations. For instance, for students waking up to their
potential at a later age more often find themselves already molded for a
profession that fails to address their aspirations. This can have disastrous
effects on their future lives.
To conclude, I feel that pushing students into specific
domain study at a young age can prove to be highly counterproductive.
