Differentiation, Remediation, Acceleration; Instructional strategies for the weak and able

An interview with Radio Universe, University of Ghana – Legon, centered on a Daily Graphic news item (July 21, 2015) headlined: “Don’t segregate students into classes based on performance.”

A professor was quoted as saying, “We need to give them equal opportunities and not discriminate against weak students.”

It is often difficult when radio and television producers and hosts request that I comment on news items. When an opinion is expressed on education matters, I choose to focus on the broad topic only.

As it often happens, a remark in question may have been misquoted by reporters, taken out of context, the original ideas paraphrased out of the intended meaning, or a headline dramatised.

But the issue of whether or not to separate classes according to ability is an important one; it needs to be addressed properly for the benefit of school management, parents and teacher education institutions.

As they say in education parlance, “One size doe