DID YOU KNOW THAT...
• … it is Gifted Awareness Week from 13 to 19 June 2011?
• … gifted and talented children are found in all cultures, socioeconomic groups, and amongst those with disabilities?
• ... gifts and talents can be demonstrated in a wide range of intellectual, academic, creative, cultural, leadership, artistic, and physical abilities and qualities?
• … some children can be gifted and talented but also have learning or behavioural disabilities such as ADHD, Aspergers, dyslexia or dyspraxia?
• … all schools in New Zealand are required to identify and provide appropriately for gifted and
talented students under the National Administration Guidelines?
BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT …
• … there are no explicit requirements for gifted and talented children in early childhood education to be identified or provided for appropriately?
• … only $1.2 million is allocated by Government for gifted and talented education this year? If 5%
of New Zealand’s school students are gifted and talented, this amounts to about $35 per child per
annum!
• … schools’ reporting for performance on National Standards to the Ministry of Education only
acknowledges those above the standard, but not well-above the standard?
• … gifted and talented students are not entitled to receive assessment and intervention services through Group Special Education?
AND DID YOU KNOW THAT ...
• … the schools identified by ERO as providing most appropriately for gifted and talented students were those that had received significant professional learning support?
• … giftEDnz advocates for the needs of over 200 professionals working with gifted and talented
children, young people, and those who support them?
• … you can join giftEDnz, a professional association aiming for equitable opportunities and outcomes for gifted and talented children and young people through advocacy, communication, networking, and support?
Did you know you can show your support for our country’s future leaders by saying YES to gifted and talented education?
You CAN make a difference!
Join giftEDnz: The Professional Association for Gifted Education
www.giftednz.org.nz
Comments
Excellent questions to consider from giftEDnz. Just one more...
Did you know that this blog post is part of the Gifted Awareness Week blog tour?
Thanks for this and your previous post, Anne. I see some interesting discussion on that one, and hopefully we will see some here too. I had not really taken in that there was no requirement to identify gifted children in Early Childhood Education. I have worked with many parents who felt that their gifted and twice exceptional children had been better recognised and served in ECE environments than they had been in schools. I have always felt that the strands and philosophies of Te Whaariki, with their emphasis on affirming individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and learning through exploration had a lot to do with this. I know that the new school curriculum is supposed to be more in tune with Te Whaariki, but I'm not sure that we had it long enough before National Standards shifted the focus from some of the good things it has to offer. I would be interested in the opinions of others.