The Bell Curve

My dear class rep, when Mr. Azhar showed us an example of formal assessment in PE, asked rather awkwardly, whether such a thing is possible to be implemented for students of lesser abilities in the lousier schools (seeing that the example is from RI). She said that attempts to teach the same game to students in two different schools produced mixed results - In her better school the kids could catch on immediately and play on, while in the other school the students had a hard time trying to comprehend the rules of the game.

I can't help but sense the awkwardness in the question and the following answer, where the teacher sort of have to explain, of course, the viability of assessment in PE, whether it's in a good school or a school with not-as-bright students. I think definitely, teachers have to tailor all their curriculum and content to the abilities of the students, but then it is almost as if it is politically incorrect to state outright that there is a sort of discrimination by intellectual level here.

I think we should all readily admit, acknowledge, and accept that there are both brighter and not-as-bright students, and 'good' and 'lousy' schools too, and make provisions when planning our lessons etc. The important thing is that we never state that as a fact to them, and not lower our expectation of them too much because of our perception of their abilities. Perhaps, PE can be the place where they can feel that they can be 'smart' in other ways too, not only book-wise.