Classrooms divided: Should schools segregate by grades?

For the longest time, merit has been defined by what a student can score in an examination. It defined and still defines how a student is treated in the school and society. In some schools, there is an overt segregation with students placed in separate sections based on their grades. While this practice is normalised, it raises questions about equity, opportunity, and established practices of teaching-learning.

Supporters argue that grouping students by ability enables targeted instruction and helps teachers move at an appropriate pace. Critics, however, contend that such segregation can stigmatise children, reinforce social divides, and limit peer learning.

As we move towards a broader understanding of merit and teaching-learning practices, can this merit-based segregation continue? To explore the topic, The Hindu will host a webinar titled, ‘Classrooms divided: Should schools segregate by grades?’, on March 7 at 5:00 p.m. The panellists include Aarti C Rajaratnam, Psychologist and Author; Jhansi Christopher, Academic Head, Ryan Group; and Raaji Naveen, Co-Founder, Beyond 8. The webinar will be moderated by Ravina Warkad, Senior Sub-Editor, Education Vertical, The Hindu.

Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.

Panellists

Aarti C Rajaratnam, Psychologist and Author

Aarti is a psychologist, educator and best selling author in the fields of creative education and psychology. Her career spans over two decades. She has set up schools in the rural areas of India to cater to first generation learners to cater to their educational and nutritional needs. She worked to rehabilitate over 7500 children in Coastal Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka after the Tsunami in 2004 and trained volunteers on Psychological First Aid after the two massive earthquakes in Nepal in 2015. She also works with Children in the Juvenile Justice Board helping children in conflict with the law to be integrated back into society effectively.

Jhansi Christopher, Academic Head, Ryan Group

Jhansi Christopher is an academic leader with over 23 years of experience in the field of education, currently serving as the Head – Academic Excellence at the Ryan International Group of Institutions in India and overseas. She has been instrumental in driving curriculum innovation, pedagogical advancement, and professional development initiatives across the group’s network of schools. Under her leadership, the Ryan Group has integrated Design Thinking, STEM education, Communication building into the curriculum. She has also curated and implemented extensive teacher training programs to build instructional capacity and align teaching practices with global educational standards.

Raaji Naveen, Co-Founder, Beyond 8

Raaji Naveen is a trustee at HLC International—India’s first Ashoka Changemaker School—and co-founder of Beyond 8. A former business analyst and product manager with global MNCs in the U.S., she entered education two decades ago and has since been at the forefront of shaping HLC’s philosophical identity and Beyond 8’s heutagogical model.She has been named an Uncommon Leader by the Madras Management Association, recognised as a Purple Squirrel in a Harvard Strategy program, serves as Ambassador for the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is among the Founding Fifty for Responsible AI in Learning (RAIL), and is a board member of Inidhu Education Trust.

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