[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Gifted children

[Shaun Hately]

> 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.  

I understand this. But when this is the case, it doesn't change the fact that students 
in the school are having their needs neglected. It often isn't the school's fault - it's a 
fault 'higher up' in the system but it's still there.

> 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.

I didn't say schools don't care - some don't, but most do. But whether they care or 
not, if a child is not receiving an appropriate education, something is wrong at some 
level. The program I work in works outside schools because we're aware that there 
often isn't a level of resourcing available to allow schools to address the issues.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately |webpage: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       |email: drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in
common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter
the facts to fit the views. Which can be uncomfortable if you happen
to be one of the facts that need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who:
The Face of Evil | Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia