A study of the knowledge and attitudes that primary school pupils and their parents have of streaming

Abstract

This ethnographical study is an original piece of work concerned with the knowledge and attitudes that primary school pupils and their parents have of streaming. It seeks to assess the part played by these attitudes on the academic attainment of pupils. The methods of research were observation, interviewing and questionnaires. This study was confined to a relatively small sample in one particular school. The results of this study reveal that failure in a child's academic attainment is strongly related to unfavourable parental attitudes and is then aggravated by the attitudes of the school staff.