A Reflection on a current issue in Sydney relating to culture and identity: Smart vs. Dumb

Smart vs. Dumb

There are many educational issues that have arisen in Sydney. One of the foremost issues being, separating students based on their academic skills. Being educated in a private school the main structure was smart middle and dumb classes. The smart class being students with high intellectual abilities while the dumb class being students who needed extra help in their studies. This labeling was often a negative aspect within the school as many students were discriminated against their intellectual ability. Racism “today is expressed in different ways; overt racism is “usually not socially condoned,” and the instances which overt racism acts in public is “rare”. (Solo’ rzano et al., 2000, p.61).” Individuals are not only racist in circumstances were there is a difference in culture or in skin colour but also in difference in intellectual ability. For instance being put in the “dumb” class made me feel like a failure that I have no ability to get the high marks that other students were getting. This made our class be labeled as the “dumb” class that were never going to get anywhere in life. However this had a positive effect has it motivated us to work harder as everyone thought we could not do it.

In the yahoo article it tells us that the ability grouping in the classroom was once popular in the 1960s and ‘70s. By placing high achievers in one cluster and lower achievers in another, educators can teach the same material but modify activities and assignments to each group. The article argues that this practice fell out due to critics stating such segregation singled out. The National Education Association is not so keen on grouping students. However on the NEA website states, “students with high abilities and skills were given intense, rigorous academic training while students with lower abilities were given a vocational education”. With this argument the National Education Association, “supports the elimination of such groupings”.  Teachers who are assigned to teach bright students prefer this grouping. While teachers who are assigned to teacher students with low academic background are less enthusiastic and do not prefer grouping students.

Moreover grouping students according to their intellectual ability can have a both positive and negative effect on students. It can have a positive effect, as other students who need the extra help do not disturb the bright students education. They can move on with their work more quickly. Teachers can focus on each students ability more profoundly this can help them achieve higher marks. However it can have a negative effect, as the students with the lower ability can feel isolated and be labeled as failures resulting in them disliking going to school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tItvMjRxL_c

Reference:

·      A classroom Divided: Is Grouping Students by Intelligence a Good Idea? (2013 June 10). Yahoo News. Retrieved from:

http://news.yahoo.com/classroom-divided-grouping-students-intelligence-good-idea-001600295.html

·      Solorzano, D., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 60-73.