Australia's gifted and talented deserve a better deal

By Chelsea Channing
Published August 21, 2017

Teachers are charged with the task of helping each and every student be the best they can be. But what if a student’s best is well beyond the rest of the class?

For about 10 per cent of the student population this is the case, and according to Dr Jae Jung, a ...

This story appeared in the September 2017 edition of Australian Teacher Magazine.

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By Chelsea Channing

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Chelsea is a staff member of Australian Teacher Magazine, Student Guide, EducationHQ Australia and EducationHQ New Zealand.

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We neurodivergents have always been here; it's just that it is now realised.

— Peter Langdale on Teachers ‘On The Front Line’ Amid Rising Number Of Students With Disability Adjustments

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We need to remember that our brightest students are the ones who are the most likely to make a real difference in society. They’re the ones who are likely to find the cure for cancer, they’re the ones who can find a solution to global poverty, and they’re the ones who are best positioned to address environmental issues like loss of biodiversity and ocean acidification. And yet, they’re the ones who are most neglected in our education system.

— Dr Jae Jung - senior lecturer in the School of Education at UNSW Sydney

Of great concern nationally is the slide in performance among our high achievers on international and national assessments.

— Mark Scott - Secretary of the Department of Education in NSW

There are widespread misconceptions about gifted students and negative attitudes towards special provisions for gifted students.

— Lesley Henderson - president, Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented

I think sometimes giftedness is masked by other issues, such as low socio-economic status, ESL, even other learning disabilities, so these students get pigeonholed in that category and therefore gifted education doesn’t even enter the question.

— Troy Eggleston - science teacher at Castle Hill High School in Sydney

Australia's gifted and talented deserve a better deal

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