During the latter half of the 20th century, the egalitarian ideology crept into education and there was a gradual dismantling of programs for gifted children. Most of the criticism of programs for the gifted came from those who regarded them as “elitist” or a form of “racial discrimination.” The equity movement that took hold in the first two decades of this century has gone even further in denying the existence of individual differences in intelligence and the concept of giftedness. (see: California Recognizes Giftedness – Intelligence and IQ.)
Yet, research has revealed a high correlation between IQ and levels of achievement. The greatest innovations in technology and business have come from the highly intelligent and gifted people, such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs and John von Neumann. Gifted young people are vital to the future of any nation and it is in the individual’s best interest and the best interests of that nation to nurture their ability and provide these intellectually talented people with the opportunity to learn in a rich environment. (Of course, not only the gifted, but all students can make a contribution to our society, and we owe to all our young people the opportunity to learn at a rate commensurate with their ability.) Gifted students who do not want to be in a gifted program should also be given that choice. The strength of a nation resides in its diversity and its ability to attend to the individual needs within that diversity.
Denying a gifted child the opportunity to learn at a rate consistent with their ability is tantamount to forcing an accomplished skier to practice their skills on the “bunny hill.” The frustration that comes with such constraints is well-articulated by Alyssa Shick in her post at: https://qr.ae/pydJBF
If you’ve ever been stuck behind a convoy of slow large trucks on the highway for a distance of 10 miles, you know how frustrating it can be. Imagine being stuck behind the slowest learners in the class for a stretch of 10 years. It’s what the courts might refer to as “cruel and unusual punishment.”
