Social Learning Theory posits that interactions among cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors significantly shape human behavior (Kretchmar, 2015). If streaming, as a practice, seeks to categorize students based solely on standardized test results, and detrimental outcomes such as diminished motivation and self-concept arise, it appears to contradict the objectives of the SEMP (2002) curriculum. The SEMP emphasizes the need to address the "diversified needs and interests of students" (Ministry of Education White Paper, 2002, p. 48). In essence, streaming, when driven by narrow academic metrics, introduces inequities and fails to cater to the holistic development of students.
A historical perspective reveals instances of streaming in regional examinations. CXC, for example, once practiced streaming by offering Basic and General subjects with the intention of providing exams for different groups of candidates, one for those excelling and another for a broader, non-specialized education (CXC regulations, n.d.). Additionally, the Common Entrance Exam and its successor, the SEA exam in Trinidad, can be seen as forms of streaming. The use of scores from a single primary school exam to determine placement in secondary schools reflects a classification based on academic performance.
Despite these practices, the psychosocial impact of such placements has not been thoroughly explored in the literature. Nonetheless, media reports have highlighted the consequences over the years. Annual coverage often features desolate students in tears because they did not secure their first-choice placement, and there have been distressing reports of SEA students resorting to suicide.
Upon entering Form One, many students appear to have internalized the belief that they are academically inferior if they did not secure their preferred choice. This observation underscores how a system of streaming, solely grounded in academic criteria, overlooks crucial aspects of students' social and psychological development.
While Trinidad may not officially endorse streaming with an explicit policy, the consensus among colleagues suggests that streaming occurs informally. This informal streaming can result in lasting labels that shape not only students' identities but also influence how teachers perceive them. In the absence of clear policies, the inadvertent effects of streaming on students' self-perception and educational trajectories remain a pertinent concern.
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