[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Gifted children

[Mary Jennings]

Shaun wrote:

>In three and a half years at school, he has learned basically nothing. He's 
>very close
>to shutting down and giving up on school. If he was happy, we wouldn't be 
>involved
>at
>this point - but he isn't. He wants to learn - and school is doing nothing 
>to address
>his desire to learn.

If I may point out, Shaun, some schools simply do not have the resources.  
In England schools are hopelessly underfunded.  When the PTA donates its 
fundraising profits to buy *textbooks*, something is very wrong.  The 
primary school my daughter (and next year my son) attends is one of the best 
in town, not because of the glorious facilities or the excess teaching 
staff, but because the headmaster is very committed (usual work day:  7:00 
am to 9:00pm on school grounds) and the staff are committed and work well as 
a team.  Except for the reception classes, all classrooms have 30+ children, 
with one LSA if the teacher is lucky.  I won't go into detail about the 
state of the school buildings as I'm sure that is obvious.

I help out several hours a week in my daughter's reception class.  There is 
one teacher and one Nursery Nurse for 24 children, mostly 4 and 5 years old. 
  They try desparately to accommodate all the children, but those way in 
front or far behind both suffer because the staff simply cannot give the 
children the individual attention they need.  Obtaining funding for a 
special needs child is difficult enough (several friends are in this 
position, trying desparately to keep their children in mainstream schools); 
for a gifted child it is nigh on impossible.  IMHO the fault lays squarely 
on the shoulders of the county council, which doesn't make the necessary 
funds available.  The individual schools cannot be blamed if lack of funding 
is the sole reason for the lack of resources.

I know of one child with a reading disability whose teacher gives up her own 
break time to help this child out.  This is, of course, very commendable, 
but *it shouldn't be necessary*.  When I help out I'm given a group of 
(usually) four children who have my undivided attention for up to half an 
hour.  Even in this situation I wish I had more time for those children who 
are either bored with the work (several bright little buttons in this class) 
or who still don't recognize all their letters and numbers.

I realize that it's possible that your student's school simply doesn't care, 
but I felt I had to defend those schools that do care--and very much so--but 
struggle to support their "normal" students, never mind the ones who do not 
fit in the mainstream for whatever reason.

Mary Ann

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com