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?

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?

 

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.