Why is that we all seem to accept as a fact that streaming is bad for all kids? 

The PPTA has today chipped in on this endless campaign for schools to quit streaming.

Because - this is often the argument - by putting kids in the bottom class we tell them they’re stupid and the damage their self-image for the rest of their lives.

But this is life, isn’t it? 

We put kids in different grades for sport and no one complains about it. The best rugby players go in the first 15. The normal rugby players go into the second and third fifteen.

We all accept that here are some kids who are exceptional at rugby and who deserve the chance to compete against each other and fully develop their skills and maybe even become All Blacks.

Why don’t we have the same attitude to education? 

There are some kids who are exceptional at maths or English or science.  Shouldn’t they have the ability to reach their full potential and take on the world’s best in whatever it is that they’re excellent at? 

The research shows that if we don’t stream, we are holding those kids back. 

If you don’t stream, yes they still do well.  But if you stream, their grades jump even higher.

And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’ll be because the teacher can teach at their pace rather than waiting for the stragglers in the class to catch up.

To be fair, that same search does show that streaming is bad for the least smart kids.  Their grades drop when you put them in the bottom class, maybe because they think they’re dumb and so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe because the smartest kids aren’t there to act as role models. 

So some are benefited, and some are affected badly but ultimately it comes down to what you value the most: Do you value allowing the excellent kids to achieve their full potential, or do you value lifting the grades of least able? You can’t have both. One has to sacrifice for the other.

Think about rugby here.  None of us would argue that we should mix the first and third fifteen just to help the less able rugby players get a bit better, would we? 

So why do we do it with maths and science?  

LISTEN ABOVE