The Editor, Sir:

I agree with the writer of the letter 'Parity needed re school places', stating that children should not be screened when being selected for high school after the GSAT.

This not only demoralises the children who perform at lower levels, but also creates havoc in some schools - the ones who have ALL the children who achieved the lower marks.

Mixing the children who perform at higher levels with the ones who achieve lower marks in some instances will help lower achievers to perform better since they may have peers as role models for them and may motivate them to work harder.

Judicious mix

This screening is also done within the high schools as the students with higher grades are being placed in separate classes and the lower achievers are all placed together in one class.

This makes it very difficult for the teachers and is may be the cause of lack of discipline and learning in some classes. Also if there is a mixture of children in the class, for group projects, the kids with higher marks can be grouped with the ones with lower marks to help them and to motivate them.

In high schools, this can be done at least for the first three years before the kids are prepared for their fifth-year examinations. I hope that the government and principals of high schools will look into this. Give it a try and see how it works. You have nothing to lose but can only gain in the process.

I am, etc.,

SONIA ELLIS

sas_50@hotmail.com