SECTIONING RESTRUCTURED

LAILA M. GOMEZ

For most schools, especially one with a big population, sectioning or the placement of students in specific sections or classes is a main concern and has been the subject of debates and changes in policy. Students in every grade level are divided to form different groups or sections with an appropriate and conducive class size depending on the current system that a school is implementing.

For a long time in the past, students were categorized based on their previous year’s performance reflected in their grades. They were grouped with other students of similar academic standing. Names of sections were even arranged in hierarchal manner, example, Grade 8-1, Grade 8-2. Inevitably, this homogenous sectioning system created a social hierarchy system and biases. There were higher sections or first sections, with them comes expectations that most of them are performing well in academics and are considered good students. And they were those placed in the lower sections or even the title of being in the last section, with the denotation that teachers will find it hard to teach them and that they rarely have interest in academics, and probably has the worst discipline in the their level.

It not only had a negative impact on the lives of an individual student, but also on the teaching and perspective of their teachers. This system had proven the adverse effect of negative labeling of people. Even if a student did not automatically have the labeled characteristics, being in the group with those labels tend to develop a negative attitude or attribution in them. It seemed to have placed them in a hopeless cycle,with rarely any model in their class that could influence them to be active in class participation. Teachers also had to deal with their own expectations of the class and the class’ seemingly status-quo. Teachers could also lose their motivations when continuously placed in such conditions.

Schools and their administration have come up with ways to battle the situation. Most have devised heterogeneous or semi-heterogeneous system of sectioning. Though there are still considerations for academic performance, school have tried to balance the distribution of students from ability strata in each sections. They are trying to build an atmosphere in schools where no section could point out that other sections are any lower than they are.

These systems implemented could also uplift the plight of students in need of more motivation and guidance in their academics. They could now feel that they are in the same level as other students, and that they are also expected to and can actually perform as others do. This could develop a system of mutualism in the class and wider perspective and exposures for all.Though it may take time and some challenges to completely eradicate the instilled notions attributed to being in higher or lower sections, the change in sectioning process is a big leap to improve and to develop our social structure.

— oOo—

The author is Teacher III at Pampanga High School