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Originally Posted by kronas
if the parents cannot achieve funding then simply moving them up a class or two can retain there sanity.........
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Hmm, at the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I'd like to say that this isn't always an option. Both my sister & I were classed as "gifted", yet were stuck in mainstream education until the age of 11. It is hard for gifted children to cope with "normal" education, it's easy to get bored when you're doing workbooks you were capable of doing 2/3 years ago. But the school wouldn't fast-track either of us, because they felt that by doing that, they'd be making us susceptible to bullies, and that as a result we'd suffer. We suffered anyway with the work we were given, I can remember being sent off to the library countless times to read because the teachers had no work for me.
Both of us went to a private school from 11-17 (I left after the first year of 6th form, my sister is in her final year) and the level of schooling is different to state schools. It's not just for rich kids either - the school I went to has exceptional exam results, and you do have to sit an entrance exam to be accepted (although I'm sure there's always the cases where mummy & daddy flash some cash & are accepted). If the entrance exam result is exceptionally good, they offer you a scholarship (I think 3 were available each year in my school, increased to about 15 in the 6th form)
There were huge differences in methods of teaching, there were huge changes in the support available, class sizes were smaller; it was all so different & so much more challenging. I do believe that
some, not all, private schools are better for gifted children.
Now, onto funding
Up until 1997, Government-funded Assisted Places were available for a certain percentage of students. For the first 3 years of my secondary education, my parents paid £13 a term for me to go to school. Now, my dad pays £1300 a term for my sister as his salary has increased. I personally don't see why these were scrapped - it enabled probably about 30% of my year to go to school. One of my best friends at school was exceptionally gifted - she went on to Oxbridge & did very well for herself, and I know for a fact she wouldn't have been able to go had she not been granted an assisted place. They were also limited to pupils who would benefit from the education provided at the school.
I do believe that there should be some funding available to send gifted children to a school where they will benefit from the teaching - whether this is a private school, or a tutor. It is hard to grow up being gifted. This said, I don't believe you can class gifted children under the same support act as autistic children etc - no funding should be taken away to give these children the level of support they need either. Maybe assisted places should be reinstated - they'd give a lot more children the opportunities they need.
Please don't dismiss gifted children though - I don't think you can class it as a disability, but they are special needs & do need to be treated & taught differently.
ETA : link for eligibility of assisted places
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19952016_en_3.htm