Will, Emma (SEN)
From:	JNimmo@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Sent:	Friday, 16 March 2001 5:07 PM
To:	eet.sen@aph.gov.au
Cc:	R._Elder@unsw.edu.au
Subject:	Senate Inquiry submission
My submission addresses the following:

a) Consideration of whether current policies and programs for gifted and
talented children's meet their needs
i) means of identifying children
ii) access to programs
c) proper role of the commonwealth

 I write this response as a parent of a number of Gifted and  Talented
children and the experience of both selective schools and maintaining
children at local schools. I start from the premise that as all children
are individuals they will have individual needs to be met. Within the
school system, the children in the middle percentiles will probably engage
in school lessons, but those in the top 20% and those in the bottom 20%
will need assistance of one sort or another to engage in this system. The
ethos of the teaching system would appear to try and make everyone equal.
This would appear to disadvantage those both at the top and at the bottom.
The real test is for everyone to be able to perform at their personal best.
I have found that if the children don't appear to be having a problem in
the class, then the children must be doing OK. This is not so . The
question is are the children performing to the best of their ability? Are
they motivated? Do they enjoy going to school or is it a traumatic time
where their interests are not being fostered and values supported?

The identification of the children's abilities was my sole responsibility.
I undertook to have IQ tested for each of my children, I then had to pursue
at my own financial and time cost, extra curricular activities to engage
these children. This included regular visits to museums etc. Regular visits
to libraries. It has always felt like such a up hill battle to have the
needs of these children recognised. It has been up to me to attend the
weekend seminars to become the expert in G and T Education.

As my youngest son said to me unprompted " its only you and dad who teach
me things". I feel it is tragic that my son spends so much time tuned out
at school. He has been to GERRIC days and other Gifted programs and has
been excited and engaged in learning . At school I am told he doesn't join
in. Yet he is a very able sportsperson on the field and with us at home
demonstrates a high level of maturity and perception, (except when he is
testing us). He is a deep thinking person and this doesn't appear to fit
with expectations at schools. He has a mature and well developed sense of
humour, and is gentle with his younger cousins who love to tease and play
with him. He is very clear that he does not like school and only likes his
two best ( also bright) friends. What a waste to spend 6 years unlearning
his love of learning. I am very concerned that children learn to hide their
brightness as academic performance "isn't cool".

The only time I have been happy with the education system was when my
daughter won a place at North Sydney Girls High and the ethos at that
school allowed the girls to be competitive, to succeed and largely to win.
Whenever I met the girls from this school I felt they were not only
privileged but took their responsibility as future leaders seriously. This
daughter is now in University and I hope she will write separately on her
experiences. I know she has very strong views on many things, including
gifted and talented children's education.

I think the proper role of the Commonwealth as a major funding source of
Universities is to encourage targeted programs and training of teachers for
the brighter children, to change the ethos from a sports only nation to
pride in academics and other performance. To realise the economic potential
of these extremely bright and gifted children, if they make it to adulthood
still able to perform at their ability level, and the possible economic
benefit of exporting the training of the staff and students in G and T
education.

I write this for the future bright children, mine are almost beyond the
school system. And for the children as they say, look after them they are
our future.

Regards

Julie Nimmo
Strategic Planner
Sutherland Council
PO Box 17 Sutherland. 1499
Visit the Strategic planning website @
http://www.suthlib.nsw.gov.au/shapetheshire/index.htm
612 97100683
jnimmo@ssc.nsw.gov.au