Why 'Streaming' in Education is Vital

At the very basic level, a person is to be educated to the highest level s/he can achieve.

In ancient days, before 'political correctness', before the tsunami of dumbing down, children were tested and placed into specific classes based on their Intellectual level.

There was 'bright' class where those who seemed the most intelligent were placed. There was second 'bright' for those who seemed on the cusp. There was 'average' for most kids. And then, 'dunce' class.

This separation was done to prevent those at the bottom pulling down those at the top.

During World War II a Drill Sergeant was faced with a recruit, of whom he said,

'The first time he saw shoes is when the Army gave them to him.'

The Sergeant found him so dumb he called him 'Plowboy'. The image of him being hitched to a plow to pull it was in everyone's mind.

There was also a recruit who had one year of college, whom was called 'Professor'.

The D.S. thought he should link the two as 'buddies' assuming Professor would elevate Plowboy. He was warned by his Corporal that this was a bad idea, but he proceeded.

Within two weeks Professor was a dumb as Plowboy.

The Corporal explained; "Stupid people have stronger minds than smart people,"

When a stupid person gets a concept, he never lets go. There is no way to talk him out of it. The only way to stop him is physically.

If he thinks these leaves have medicinal properties he will pick them and prepare them for consumption. Telling him they are poisonous has no effect. He knows what he knows. So he makes his preparation, consumes it, and dies.

Another stupid person assumes that the deceased didn't make the preparation correctly which is why he died. Not that the leaves are poisonous.

An intelligent person, told the leaves are poisonous will pause, will do his scientific checks. He is not sure whether or not the leaves are harmful, but until he has verified this, he will not consume them.

An intelligent person learns from the mistakes of others.

He sees Stupid make a preparation, drink it and die. He doesn't have to make that preparation and die to prove the leaves are harmful.

It is important to keep intelligent children separated from stupid ones, for that 'flexibility' of reasoning.

Where a stupid person can, at the top of his voice repeat an opinion he heard from Fox News as if writ in stone, an intelligent person will investigate, consider, come to a reasoned conclusion. However, as the Stupid person speaks with such certainty, an Intelligent person, who doesn't realise this is a Stupid guy, might very well be dragged along.

In ancient days, educators, aware of the propensity of Stupid people to talk with authority and capture those Intelligent people who would 'hedge' until sure, keeping them apart was mandated.

The bright child was put in a class of peers, assigned work, and pushed as far as possible. Graduating Public School, the bright child would be sent to a Junior High for 'gifted' students where s/he would be pushed.

Loaded with school work, exposed to many subjects, the protocol was to skip grades, if possible, to get that brilliant mind into a University.

The Dunce child wobbled through Public School just able to read, write, do easy sums. He would be sent to a Junior High which was heavy on 'Trades' and light on Academic subjects.

The Dunce child would be tomorrow's plumber, carpenter, typist, so whether they knew the Capitals of all countries in South America or the names of planets in the solar system didn't matter.

No one cared if the Dunce child felt sad that he was labeled dunce. He was dunce. Calling a cockroach a small animal doesn't mean it is not a cockroach.

Streaming was important not merely to set curriculum it was important to protect the Bright Child.

In Bright class the kids had a great deal of work. Homework took hours.

"Read Chapters 1 -3 in your Science Text and answer all questions at the end of each chapter";

"Draw a map of Asia and label all countries and major cities",

"Write an Essay on the connection between Columbus' voyage and the Bubonic Plague".

That was assigned on Monday, due on Tuesday.

In Dunce Class;

"Read Chapter One of your Science Text and answer questions 1,2 and 3"

That was all that was assigned on Monday.

The Bright kid is struggling up the steps with four texts, three notebooks and a
pencil case.

The Dunce kid has a spiral notebook and a pencil.

The Bright kid has no time to live. From the moment s/he reaches home, it's homework. Then, in exhaustion, bed, only to wake up exhausted, to go back to the salt mine.

The Dunce kid reads the assignment while in the next class, answers the questions, goes home to change into play clothes and is outside having fun until called for dinner.

Later, Dunce is watching T.V. until told to go to bed. Dunce pops up early in the morning full of energy.

Now the biggest mistake is to have one school divided into Bright/Average/Dunce; a school in which 7-1 to 7-4 is dunce, 7-5 to 7-8 is average, 7-9 to 7-12 is bright.

So Bright Kid in 7-12, is carrying a double load so as to skip 8th grade. Bright kid is carrying luggage to school because s/he needs all these books. Bright Kid is shoved down the steps by Charlie Leftback from 7-1.

As Bright Kid gathers the books and the papers, the wonder is that Charlie Leftback doesn't have to carry all these books, work so hard. Charlie Leftback has a life. A real life, beyond classwork.

Bright Kid realises that being bright means more work.

The Bright Kid in 7-12, seeing the free time of the Dunce in 7-1, reasons:

"Why am I working myself to death? Why am I losing my childhood so as to rush through school, so as to go to work a year earlier? I can get into Dunce class, coast and when they give the I.Q. test when I'm 14, I'll ace it and get into Big Brain High."

So the Bright Kid decides to do nothing, fail. In January Bright Kid is put into 7-5 and has all the time in the world to play games, watch T.V. and be a kid.

This is because Bright Kid is Bright enough to figure out how to do as little as possible to get by.

This is why Streaming is so important.