Forum: Good to have students of different streams in a class

I am impressed by the move to get rid of the usual labels of Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) stream courses and grouping them into G1, G2 and G3 (Teachers, students adapt to full subject-based banding that caters to diverse interests, strengths, March 1).

I am really glad my school started doing this in 2022, and has even changed the numbering of the classes to the names of saints. This has helped students of various streams come together and support one another as a class.

Everyone has her own strengths and weaknesses, and with the diversity of students in a class, everyone can learn a thing or two from one another.

My younger sister is in a form class that has a mix of girls of different streams. At the same time, she gets to mix with students from various streams, including those in Express, when she goes for lessons. This is a great opportunity for her.

As for my cohort, while I go to different classes for my lessons, my classmates are mainly in the Normal (Academic) stream. Most students interact with just those in their stream and not beyond. This prevents students from having a wider circle of friends.

However, there are often common activities that a teenager has to take part in with his peers, like working in groups on projects. This is a good opportunity for friendships to bloom, allowing students to explore beyond their usual, comfortable cliques. 

Cherish Chong Jing Xi, 16
Secondary 4 student