Gifted children must be indentified early: Experts
Gifted children must be indentified early: Experts
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Education experts and psychologists agreed at
a conference here yesterday that early identification and proper
education are crucial elements in the development process of
gifted children.
The Post-Workshop 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness
was held by the Psychology department of the Gadjah Mada
University and the Indonesian Foundation for the Education and
Development of Gifted Children.
Dorothy Sisk from the U.S.-based Lamar University in Texas
proposed the Step Up Project, which aimed to help economically
disadvantaged gifted children.
According to Sisk, the project's emphasis is placed on various
pretests conducted prior to students' admission, including
demography, teacher's assessment and understanding children's
parents.
"This project is not only enriching the lives of bright
minority students, but these students are also contributing
positively to the entire school as role models and enthusiastic
learners," Sisk, who had conducted the research project on the
native American Navajo tribe, said.
An educator from the Yogyakarta Institute of Art noted the
importance of detecting a child's giftedness as early as
possible.
"Who knows? We may discover artists with capabilities similar
to Beethoven or Mozart," Soedarso S.P. said.
According to Soedarso, participative methods such as field
practices can be used to improve the quality of teachers in the
region to be better equipped to discover their students' special
talents.
Supra Wimbarti from the Child Psychology department of Gadjah
Mada University seconded Soedarso's opinion that Indonesian
gifted children have not been receiving the attention they
deserve.
Obstacles faced in identifying gifted children, according to
Supra, include teachers' quality, lack of attention given to
gifted children from their parents and society and the scarcity
of experts on gifted people.
Supra suggested that an action program based on improving
networks between researchers and policymakers be implemented in
handling gifted children.
F.J. Monks from the University of Nijmegen contrasted the
different education system in China with that of the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, Monks said, there is no special selection
process or separate classes held for gifted students.
"They are all given an equal opportunity," Monks added,
referring to the Self Concept Score applied in the Netherlands,
which indicates gifted children's different abilities.
The score is a compilation of an intelligence test, personal
motivation test, creativity test and a locus of self control
scale.
China, on the other hand, differentiates gifted children by
providing a special school from kindergarten through university.
In Monks opinion, this differentiation puts gifted children in
a high-risk stress position because they would have to work hard
to maintain their position in the special classes. (30/14)