When I was in university too many kids started failing the intro classes so they had to add additional mandatory intro classes that used to be covered at high school.

Government don't want to pay teachers, teachers don't want to get called out for failing kids who were under-equipped for their class, so they pass them, then the next year teacher has to do the same, or they look bad. The government adds standardized tests, which become the target, because that what will make the schools look bad. Then the colleges/universities want higher enrolment for more money. They don't care what happens after kids graduate.

I think the answer is standardized testing needs to become more holistic, universities need to do entrance testing instead of relying on standardized tests, teachers need to get funded so they can teach kids instead of spending all their time dealing with a few problem students, and we need to let kids fail and re-introduce "streaming" teaching where smart kids can get into classes with smart kids, and unmotivated kids can get put into classes that refocus their learning and fix their fundamentals.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago

we need to let kids fail and re-introduce “streaming” teaching where smart kids can get into classes with smart kids

They've been doing "stream" since I was in school and it made me a worse person. I was pigeonholed into the remedial classes with no way out. No pleading would do it. I was never given target grades to reach to get out. And that was just when I was trying to get into the average classes. At one point, I tried bypassing the and testing into Honors/AP. I was told I failed, but recently, I learned by accident that I passed those tests, but was lied to. The guidance counselor who leaked that to me was surprised I wasn't happy about that and refused to say it was wrong. By the end, they were just telling me that the better classes were full, so I told them I would drop out 3 months from graduation and try again the next year. They thought I was bluffing.

Remedial classes do not focus on fixing anything. They're just dumping grounds for undesirable students. The students are en mass, are unmotivated and bully anyone down that think doesn't belong. I literately heard "What do you expect? We're remedial students" from one of my classmates one time. The teacher just dropped her head.

You want to fix things? Start holding students back. Throw out the participation awards the boomers forced on everyone. Don't just pipeline everyone into community colleges. Or make an actual High School track available in community college. My state supposedly has one, but they make it hard as hell to get any info on it.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

and we need to let kids fail and re-introduce “streaming” teaching where smart kids can get into classes with smart kids, and unmotivated kids can get put into classes that refocus their learning and fix their fundamentals.

You might be interested to learn that "gifted" classes were introduced as a reaction to integration of black students and students with disabilities. It was always about keeping privileged kids away from the rabble and has little to do with student performance or ability.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago

I'm actually quite angry to learn that, do you happen to have a source that backs that up?

[–] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

We had streaming in Canada, where there was never segregation. It was to allow teachers to focus on a more advanced level for those who could handle it. It allowed teachers to also focus on basics more with groups that needed it. It was all about capabilities, not skin color. Yes, people with mental handicaps didn't get in the advanced streams. But do you want your future doctor or scientists to have been educated at the lowest common denominator, or as best as possible?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago

same here in late 2000s, and this was in a community college, a large amount of people struggle in remedial math, as well as english, english i can understand because they almost never teach grammar/writing in k-12, but MATH.