Will, Emma (SEN)
From:	Julian and Juliette Smith [jsmith@tig.com.au]
Sent:	Sunday, 4 March 2001 8:42 PM
To:	eet.sen@aph.gov.au
Subject:	Gifted Education

Name:Juliette Smith                                                     Phone: 02-95890154

Postal Address:                                71 Como Parade Como West                                Postcode:2226

Questionnaire                    Options                                  Answer

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

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

teach gifted children?                                                                                                                                         

3.       Part of the Governments Strategy for the education of gifted & talented students is that: Y/N                   [Y                   ]

After 1995 all schools, where feasible, should seek to employ at least one teacher who  

has training in the education of gifted & talented students. 

Are any of the teachers at your school trained in the education of gifted & talented students?            

4.       How many teachers in your school appear to understand the academic, social &                   A/B/C                   [B                   ]

emotional needs of the gifted child?

      A = No teachers      B =Some teachers      C=All teachers

5.       How many teachers in your school are approachable with respect to gifted issues?                            A/B/C                   [B                   ]

      A = No teachers      B =Some teachers      C=All teachers

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

7.       Is it common for gifted children in your school to receive a curriculum that is                   Y/N                   [                   N                   ]

different to the non-gifted students in the classroom?         

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

9.       Which subject(s) are taught using ability grouping?                   A/B/C/D/E                   [                  A]               

A=None                         B=Maths                         C=Reading                         D=Other                         E=More than one subject         

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

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

& emotional well-being?

12.   Please indicate which of the following you believe would assist gifted children in your school:

a)      All teacher qualifications include training in the education of gifted & talented students                   Y/N                   [Y                   ]

b)      Implementing a procedure 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                                       Y/N                   [Y                   ]

& enrichment opportunities

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

Append any other comments below this line:

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The 1st of our children had a positive experience with 3 of his 5 years at the local school before moving on to OC and now selective high school, but our 2nd child did not have 1 teacher who was interested enough or willing to give him any extra work either in class or at home. When I asked what could she do she told me that she did not have enough time to programme just for him and he was happy to read once he had finished his work.  On talking to the principal he told me that it was not school policy to concentrate on just one group within the class and streaming of any sort would never happen while he was the principal. After 3 years of frustration in the local state primary school we have withdrawn him to a private school where within 3 weeks of starting there he was being given extra opportunities of working with other gifted students through their extension programme. For the first time in 5 and a bit years of school he is actually excited about school and tells us each day what he has been doing and his whole outlook has improved.  Our 3rd child is only in Year 1 and when I asked her teacher on the 3rd week of school how she was going the reply was “I have no idea about her ability because she is so well behaved I have not really noticed what she can do I only know from the ones that call out who knows what.”

Our 4th child who will be 5 in June appears to us to be the most “gifted” of our children, he can read simple texts,  do simple addition and subtraction, tell the time, is learning the piano, has excellent computer skills and can do 200 piece jigsaw puzzles, I was keen to send him to school this year but when I spoke to the Assistant Principal she would not even meet with him because “he is a June birthday boy and we really do not want him at school as he won’t be socially mature”.  I explained what he could already do last September and that by the time school starts in another 15 or so months he will probably find kindergarten a little boring and I was told they would rather deal with that than a 4 ½ year old boy in kindergarten.  But I wonder if I should have heeded their advice .  

He is very used to the school environment having 3 older siblings but I didn’t want to push the issue with a staff that had very firm opinions on what the age of a child entering school should be.  I was also told that they would never consider acceleration of any sort.