Will, Emma (SEN)
From:	Keith McGuinness [keith.mcguinness@ntu.edu.au]
Sent:	Friday, 9 March 2001 5:22 PM
To:	eet.sen@aph.gov.au
Subject:	Submission to Senate Committee of Inquiry into the Education of Gifted and Talented Children
Senate Committee of Inquiry into the Education of Gifted and
Talented Children:

Submission

Name: Keith A. McGuinness PhD
Phone: (08) 8946 6709
Postal Address: PO Box 704, Sanderson, NT 0812

Questionnaire:

1.  Does your child have access to an appropriate education?
Y/N  [ Y ]

2.  Do you feel that regular teachers at your school have the
training that is needed to teach gifted children?
Y/N  [ N ]

3.  Part of the government's strategy for the education of gifted and
talented students is that: `After 1995 all schools, where feasible,
should seek to emply at least one teacher who has training in the
education of gited and talented students.' Are any of the teachers at 
your school trained in the education of gifed and talented students? 
Y/N  [ Y ]

4.  How many teachers at your school appear to understand the
academic, social, and emotional needs of the gifted child?
A = No teachers   B = Some teachers  C = All teachers
[ B ]

5. How many teachers at your school are approachable with
respect to gifted issues?
A = No teachers   B = Some teachers  C = All teachers
[ B ]

6.  Does your school use a proceedure to identify students of high
potential?
Y/N  [ Y ]

7.  Is it common for gifted children in your school to receive a
curriculum that is different from the non-gifted students in the
classroom?
Y/N  [ Y ]

8.  Is accelerated progression through grades an option for gifted
students at your school?
Y/N  [ Y ]

9.  Which subject(s) are taught using ability grouping?
A = None   B = Mathematic   C = Reading   D = Other   
E = More than one subject
[ E ]

10.  Does your school provide mentorships for gifted studnets?
Y/N  [ N ]

11.  Do you believe that your gifted child's education has been
damaging to his/her social and emotional well-being?
Y/N  [ Y ]

12.  Please indicate which of the following you believe would assist
gifted children in your school: a)  All teacher qualifications should
include training in the education of gifted and talented students 
Y/N [ Y ]

b)  Implementing a proceedure to identify students of high potential
Y/N  [ Y ]

c)  Ability grouping in regular classes
Y/N  [ Y ]

d)  Allowing accelerated progression through the grades
Y/N  [ Y ]

e)  Compacting curriculum within regular classes
Y/N  [ Y ]

f)  Providing mentorships for gifted students
Y/N  [ Y ]

g)  Special classes for gifted children to allow compacting of
curriculum and enrichment opportunities
Y/N  [ Y ]

h)  Extra funding for gifted education
Y/N  [ Y ]

Append any other comments below:

My child is fortunate in being one of those children able to access an
appropriate education. Thus, my answers for Question 12 indicate what
I believe should be the case generally, and the way that I might well
think if my child were at a different school.

Unfortunately, funding pressure appears to be increasing in the NT
and there are signs that this, and other pressures, will soon start to
erode the current favourable circumstances.

In my view it is critical that avenues exist which allow gifted children
to obtain educational instruction which challenges and extends them.