Let me tell you guys how i thought of this topic . My hubby was recently in a seminar and was shown a Video . This Video was about an experiment done by a teacher .This experiment was after segregation in U.S was done away with . Some 25 - 30 years ago .
A teacher in a classroom decided to do an experiment . There were only White kids in the classroom , so that they get a feel of segregation she told them - today i (authority/ teacher) have decided kids with Blue eyes are more Intelligent than the kids with brown eyes.Kids with blue eyes will get more playground priveledges and classroom priveledges . They'll sit apart from the brown eyes . The teacher noticed that the kids with blue eyes immediately got an attitude and the kids with brown eyes , their shoulders drooped and morale went low.
After a few days, she told them , sorry i made a mistake , its the kids with brown eyes who are intellectually more superior than the blue eyes and today the priveledges go to brown eyes .
Now at the end of the study , it was noticed that when it was annouced that Kids with blue eyes are intellectually superior than brown eyes . The performance of the kids with brown eyes dropped drastically .
Now the moment the teacher annouced that the brown eyes are superior , the performance of these kids with brown eyes went up drastically .....above the regular performance before the experiment .
Now this fascinating experiment was sent to Harvard for study . This showed the effects of segregation can have such drastic affects on children that it affects the performance .
Now i feel if all children - brilliant or average are kept together .An average child can aim higher . While the brilliant child can lead and set an example for the other children .
While those resources that are used to set up a seperate classroom , can be used to have more teachers per classroom , so that individual attention within a classroom is paid to both the average and the brilliant.
Edited by Aparna_BD - 19 years ago