In some
countries, at secondary or at high
school, there may be two or three streams of studies. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of this bifurcation of students into streams at the age of 15?
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| Ielts Essay - Streaming the Students |
Bifurcating students into three different
streams after completion of a certain form in the school, preferably at the
secondary level of schooling when pupils attain age of fifteen, is a
common practice across many countries. Education experts cite various benefits
of such a move though its drawbacks should never be ignored.
Allocating students to different streams is
supposed to be having numerous benefits. By the time, children attain the age
of 15, they become rational enough to make a choice of their future course of
action, and if they are steered into a specific direction, they can capitalize
on the opportunities laid at their disposal. Taking up and staying focused on
specific subjects helps them to harness their potential and realize their
talent without wasting their time on unnecessary frills and subjects.
However, streaming pupils has been under a
constant fire for all justifiable reasons. Dividing students as per certain criteria,
which is nothing more than a mechanical system, can never deliver true results.
This bifurcation can prove to be counterproductive instead, as students can be
permanently locked into incompatible educational domains; and get caught in the
vicious circle of low scores, before
they actually wake up to the reality of appreciating their real strengths.
Moreover, this can fuel disparity and
inequality among the students since there is a good chance that pupils studying
in certain streams, like science, commerce, etc. may consider themselves to be
more intelligent and avoid interaction with students of other streams.
Furthermore, this division can deny students an enriching experience which they
may get in mixed ability classrooms.
Henceforth, I feel that classifying students
into streams as per abilities is not right and has the potential of pushing the
growing minds into incompatible professions.
