The argument depends on which assumption?
Teachers who favour grouping pupils by attainment argue that it allows each class to move at a suitable pace: the quick are not held back and the slow are not left behind. The case sounds almost too obvious to examine, which is a reason to examine it. Pupils placed in lower groups often receive less demanding work and lower expectations, and placement tends to be fixed early, so a pupil assigned to a low group at eleven may seldom escape it. Effects on the top group are usually small. If the main benefit goes to a group that would have done well anyway, while the cost falls on those already struggling, the arrangement needs a stronger defence than its apparent common sense.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. That the harm done to those in lower groups matters more than the small gain to the top group
- Step 1: The passage weighs a small benefit to a group that would have done well anyway against a cost to those already struggling.
- Step 2: It must assume the cost is the weightier.
Answer
That the harm done to those in lower groups matters more than the small gain to the top group.
Why not the others: The author says placement is 'tends to be fixed', not that it never changes, and does not assume anything about difficulty or dislike.
Practise more Schools.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed LNAT mock tests.
More Schools questions
- What is the author's main claim?
- According to the passage, which pupils benefit more from homework?
- What does the phrase 'busywork set by routine' suggest?
- Which of the following would the author most likely regard as justifiable homework?
- What is the main argument of the passage?
- Why does the author say that the case is 'almost too obvious to examine'?