One significant benefit of being in a class of gifted students is that you are less likely to be bullied. As evident in the biographies of people like Bezos, Musk, Jobs and others, children who are gifted have different interests from most others and therefore cannot self-reference to understand how others feel. In their early relationships with others, they begin to realize that they don’t “fit in.” If placed in a class with other gifted students, they are less likely to be bullied.
In a class containing many students of low ability or behavior problems, it is often socially unacceptable to cooperate with the teacher. Terms like “brown noser” and other more vulgar epithets are applied to students who are eager to learn and respond to the teacher’s questions. Classes of gifted students usually contain students who find the subject content interesting and the classroom becomes a much more positive learning environment. In such an environment, teachers are able to communicate their passion for the subject and further stimulate student interest. Furthermore, students are able to learn at a pace commensurate with their abilities, because the teacher is unencumbered with behavioural problems or attending to students with low learning abilities.
The downside of being in a class with other gifted students is characterized by the “little frog in a big pond syndrome.” Research on classes that were divided into ability groups with designations, bluebirds (high level learners), robins (average level learners) and starlings (low level learners) it was found that the students of highest self esteem were not those in the bluebird group, but rather they were those who were at the top of each group. That is, those at the bottom of the bluebird group had lower self-esteem than those who populated the top of the starling group. People compare themselves to those within their group rather than the entire population. For this reason, some of those at the bottom of a gifted class may feel intimidated by the very top students. That’s why there are numerous cases of mental stress among very bright students who attend the top universities like MIT.
Most criticism of gifted programs come from those who regard them as “elitist” or a form of “racial discrimination.” The equity movement denies individual differences in intelligence and the concept of giftedness. (see: https://www.intelligence-and-iq.com/california-recognizes-giftedness/) However, a look at the greatest innovations in technology and business have come from the highly intelligent and gifted people. These people are vital to the future of a nation and it is in their best interest and the best interests of a country to nurture that ability and provide them with the opportunity to learn in a rich environment. 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.
