Sir, Siobhan Mulholland’s article “Genius in the making” (Jan 31) fails to account for why some high-aptitude young people do not matriculate into high-achieving adults. The key reason is the restrictive nature of the secondary education system.
Western education is directed toward boosting low-achieving students to an average level of performance. The comprehensive education system, which enforces this rationale, is a suitable model for the vast majority of students. However, gifted students are often subjected to highly repetitive teaching with the result that they are often bored and disconnected from the traditional education process.
For the exceptionally gifted, the solution is often for them to skip a grade and enter university early. This strategy too is deeply flawed, as the social maturity of gifted students does not always match their intellectual abilities.
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Programmes suitable to the needs of our best and brightest are expensive and often beyond the reach of even middle-class families. Therefore, it is not surprising that some highly gifted children do not mature into “successful” adults. This is a great loss for all involved, including our broader society.
Aron Ping D’Souza
Tutor in Political Economy
University of Melbourne