Historically, schools in the United States have borrowed the European system of school organization, a system that separates students into grades by chronological age. In general, children begin formal schooling at the age of six in what is referred

The passage mentions about the different levels so called "The Graded System" of education in United States which is divided into Primary, Intermediate and Secondary level. The Speaker mentions about the disadvantages of this type of education system.

According to the speaker, the graded system does not consider the academic readiness of a student as an individual learner. By this, he means that some students are not physically, mentally or socially ready to begin with the school. By the time Girls and Boys become a teenager there is difference in the physical or social maturity but , are grouped at intermediate level.

This system does not actually consider the learning in a positive way. Individual differences or how long it takes for an individual to learn is not addressed in the graded school. If an individual does not reach to the minimum requirement he has to repeat the material untill it is clear. It is observed that Repeating the entire portion leads to increased boredom for self concept and thereby, increasing the dropout rates.

Individuals are expected to study in groups. Performance and standardized test evaluates the group performance and not the individual one. The major drawback of group assessment is students who need to learn has to keep repeating that they already know and the faster students have to wait till the others finish their work.