I attracted to one article I found in FB shared by a friend of mine. It was a full page of a primary/secondary education chronicle on teachers over work and several other chores. What interest me the most was when I came to the 7th paragraph where the writer deliberated on students class segregation accounting primarily on grades achieved from examinations.
Well, it sounds like one hell of a system where teachers can teach in a peace of mind in different cohort of students response. Good students are segregated from the not-so-bright students on sole reason to facilitate the knowledge transfers. As a matter of fact, I could not be more agree to this implementation as long as it applies to primary and lower secondary education. Apropos, this system should have not be implemented in upper secondary education specifically when it comes to choose which stream shall the students undertake for his/her next two years in secondary school. Be it biological science or art or whatever, for me it is neither up to the teachers nor the results who has the prerogative to determine of whether 6A's are going to art and 7A's are going to science.
This is a carrier we are talking about. And, it's definitely not just another transition to finish the compulsory 11 years of education. By still implementing this system it is not just show how grotesquery our education is but furthermore it ruins the students aspiration of becoming whoever he/she wanted to be. If only they introduce an interview to evaluate the students tendency and place them in class where they feel comfortable with, that would be a good start. We never know when is the individual kick start. Some may develop after years of education but let's not punish them by not giving a chance to them to study what they love the most.
I couldn't help myself to relate to this issue. It is always in my most vivid memory of how I almost slipped to the drain when I was placed in physical science merely because my grades were not qualified me to enter the biology science class. Not that I hate the class but it was just the fact that I hate numbers in which I had no choice but to study accounting. Of course, as a growing young man who didn't have a clue of what was in outside world other than what had been told by teachers and parents, my perception towards achieving good grades and becoming somebody in the future was not the first thing in my list. Well, I wouldn't be fair if I speak on behalf of my other friends because some of them were really good. In fact, few of those could memorize some of the complicated terms that were used in medicine contemplating one day they would become a neuro-surgeon if not a robust money making private general practitioner. Hat off, they are all do, not to mention the FB status nowadays that are full with medical descriptions and lengthy discussions on how to manage this patients and that disease.
Well, back to my story, although I had no intention at all of becoming a doctor or anything related to health personnel I had a strong inclination on science subjects especially biology (not physics for sure!). Still, because of this education system restriction I couldn't enjoy what I wanted to do the most. Until one fine day I got summoned by the class teacher of the biology science class which also happened to be a math teacher, Mrs. M telling of my intention to enter the biology science class. Bear in mind that during the time, there was only one biology science class in which belonged to cohort of the most elitist and brainy students. And, in the most gracefully manner one could ever be she told to me to forget about biology and try to learn accounts for the sake of my future. I was shocked but as a student who has been taught for 4 years to respect the teachers and all I nodded and went away. I wasn't cry though but since my father passed I never had this kind of disappointment and sad all at one time.
But, the disappointment was not long as after a week I got the news that there will a second biology class opened for students who aspired to enter the biology science class. And, again I was called by Mrs. M only to ask me not to appeal to enter her class and instead enter the second biology class. This time something struck in me and it occurred as if she didn't want me in her class at all. Perhaps, and I hope I was wrong, the reason was that she didn't want me to drop the good graphs that have always been and continue to go on in her class. An outlier was indeed something that had to be dismissible.
So, as where I see I stand right now I am still far from achieving my dreams. But, I am grateful that I know I'm on the right track. I pursued my biology pathway regardless of the advise to forget it. I hope someday the system will change and I pray it's not too late affecting my child or my grandchild future.
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