Teachers feel that the introduction of banding – a less differentiated form of streaming – is better than the current mixed ability system but they are concerned that students will once again be labelled as being in the “brainy”or “stupid” class.

This labelling used to take place under the streaming system that was phased out a few years ago.

State primary schools recently received a circular informing them that banding can be introduced, in Year 5 and 6, from the next scholastic year. Introducing the system would be up to the discretion of the school. Banding will group students in “bands” according to their exam performance in maths, English and Maltese. However, a certain level of mixed ability is retained as students in close-ranking bands can be grouped together.

Times of Malta spoke to teachers, many of whom said they were against the concept of streaming “in an ideal world” but felt that banding could be the solution to the class chaos caused by mixed ability students.

“Teaching a mixed ability class is impossible. You always feel you are letting someone down since you are either giving too much attention to struggling students or putting too much emphasis on high achievers," a teacher said.

“What worries me is not the introduction of banding, as such, but the labelling that can come with it since this can be detrimental to students.” 

Alternattiva Demokratika education spokesman Mario Mallia, who heads a school, said the introduction of different forms of streaming was “putting the clock back to where we were years ago”. “Research showed that segregation of children, particularly at a young age, leads to labels for life: children in particular streams remain in the same streams throughout their educational experience.

A Year 4 teacher explained that she believed labelling was a concern but it was happening in mixed ability classes as well. She agreed that a system such as banding would mean a more manageable class to the benefit of students.

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