EDUCATING THE GIFTED AND TALENTED -

INTRODUCTIONBY

ADEWALE SOLARIN

"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of non-equals"

T. Jefferson

The National Mathematical Centre (NMC)

Gifted Education Project (GEP)

form an enduring partnership network amongst academics in Nigerian tertiary institutions and abroad on one hand

and leadership and stakeholders in Secondary and Primary Schools on the other,

aims

with immediate interests in enhancing mentorship programmes

for all gifted children identified through the instruments designed by NMC and her partners.

is to improve the quality of Gifted Education in Nigeria

to make Nigerian identified gifted children achieve their highest potentials

and be able to compete favourably with gifted children of the world in achievements.

EXAMPLES: MIKE & MIKE; PIUS

The project's main goals

this project will produce a new generation of

Nigeria leadership

who have internationally acclaimed reputations.

The project will contribute to and,

pave the way for high quality world class education

capable of equipping the future professionals and scholars with the tools for becoming rigorous, world class

humanities, science and technology scholars and professionals.

This is critical to productivity, growth, national competitiveness

and the diversification of the economy for the future.

It is expected that the project will positively affect the quality of Nigeria’s participation in international knowledge and knowledge-based export.

Ultimately, the project will rejuvenate the academia with internationally reputable scholars.

Lastly, the project will significantly contribute to vision 2020-20 drive.

The class of gifted Nigerians, which forms 5% of the population,

has not received comparative attention as

the rest of the population.

Problem Statement/Needs Assessment : 

this class of people has the potential to achieve more than the rest of the population, in terms of

inventions, innovations, improvements and development that will positively affect their environment.

The formula is 5:95:1;

meaning 5% of the population

achieving 95% of inventions

with less than 1% of the investments.

One of the criteria for assessing the quality of Gifted Education in a country

the consistent top ranking achievement of the citizens’ participation in international knowledge-based competitions

The world black population is 10% of the world population.

Nigeria been a worthy representation of the black race,

it does follow that a Nigerian should consistently feature in top ten in most world knowledge-based competitions.

So far this has not been the case.

So far Nigeria’s success has been sporadic and random.

Who are our dependable partners in achieving this goal?

STATES MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION UBEC

SUBEB

MILITARY EDUCATION CORP

PRIVATE SCHOOL PROPRIETORSHIP

They are strategically positioned for this project because of

strategic location in cities with universities,

Colleges of Education and many research institutes

make mentorship programme with academicians very easy

Who are the gifted and talented ?

Students who are gifted excel, or are capable of excelling, in one or more

areas such as general intelligence, specific

academic studies, visual an performing arts, physical ability, creative

thinking, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.

Giftedness in a student is commonly characterised by an advanced pace of learning,

quality of thinking or capability for remarkably high standards of

performance compared to students of the same age.

Although these students are capable of outstanding achievement,

the learning environment is pivotal to enabling them to demonstrate and develop their abilities.

 

Students who are gifted are at risk of underachieving and

disengaging from learning if they are not identified and catered for appropriately.

Functions

Left and Right Brain

Although the cerebrum is symmetrical in structure,

with two lobes emerging from the brain stem and matching motor and sensory areas in each,

certain intellectual functions are restricted to one hemisphere.

A person’s dominant hemisphere is usually occupied with language and logical operations, while the other hemisphere controls emotion and artistic and spatial skills.

In nearly all right-handed and many left-handed people, the left hemisphere is dominant.

Approaches to fast tracking and enhancing independent learning for gifted children

Acceleration is a system of allowing pupils an express route through the usual pace of schooling. It is also known as fast tracking, and, in the USA, as grade skipping. It can take two forms:

• Acceleration of cohorts. For example, pupils may be allowed to take one or more GCSEs early and thus to move on, in advance of their peers, to A-level work and university modules. When this involves obtaining an early qualification, it is known as fast tracking.

ACCELERATION

• Acceleration of individuals, frequently known as accelerated learning. For example, they may be allowed to work with older pupils for some sections of the timetable or in some subjects.

The process of acceleration, depending on its design, can thus be one form of enrichment.

Enrichment, as Teare (1997) points out, has been variously described as

A higher quality of work than the norm for the age group;

Work covered in more depth; A broadening of the learning experience;

ENRICHMENT

Promoting a higher level of thinking;

The inclusion of additional subject areas and/or activities;

The use of supplementary materials beyond the normal range of resources.’

By definition, some gifted and talented pupils at least are characterised by a tendency to develop and learn at a faster rate than their peers, Some would argue that this applies to all such pupils.

Acceleration is thus suited to the needs of these pupils. It is also argued that at least some highly able pupils

become bored, impatient and even disaffected if they are obliged to undertake lessons at the same rate or level as their peers.

Schools may feel under pressure, for example from parents or from high-profile cases in the media, to consider acceleration programmes.

WHY IS ACCELERATION AN IMPORTANT FOCUS IN THE EDUCATION OF GIFTED AND TALENTED PUPILS?

BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

Puis Aje Onah S

SS 2MOUNT SAINT GABRIEL SECONDARY SCHOOL, MAKURDI

◄ 51th IMO 2010 ►

Chigozie Henry Aniobi, SSS 1, NIGERIAN-TURKISH INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, KANO, NIGERIA

International Mathematical Olympiad52ND IMO 2011

ABEOKUTA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ABEOKUTA ADEYEMI COLL. OF EDUCATION DEM. SCH., ONDO AIR FORCE SEC SCH, IKEJA AIR FORCE SEC SCH, MAKURDI AIR FORCE SEC SCH, PORT-HARCOURT BAPTIST HIGH SCHOOL, JOS BRITACH SEC SCH., UMUAHIA CHRIST AMBASSADORS COLLEGE, IBADAN CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE, GWAGWALADA, ABUJA CHRIST THE REDEMER COLLEGE, VALLEY, SAGAMU CHYVIK MODEL SECONDARY SCHOOL, OBECHIE

2009 WASCE TOP 100 PUPILS

COMMAND DAY SEC. SCHOOL, ODOGBO, IBADAN CORONA SECONDARY SCHOOL, AGBARA DANSOL HIGH SCHOOL, IKEJA DE-WORLD INTERNATIONAL SEC. SCH., PORT-

HARCOURT FAITH ACADEMY, CANAAN LAND, OTA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACADEMY, SULEJA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIRLS COLLEGE, ONITSHA FEDERAL GOVT. COLLEGE, IJANIKIN FOUNTAIN HEIGHTS SECONDARY SCHOOL,

SURULERE

GRUNDTVIG INTERNATIONAL SEC SCH., OBA HOLY CHILD COLLEGE, IKOYI HOLY INNOCENTS JUNIORATE CONVENT, NKPOR HOME SCIENCE ASSOCIATION SEC SCH.,

ALAKUKO IMMACULATE COLLEGE, MAIDUGURI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, UNILAG, AKOKA,

LAGOS JEPHTHAN COMP SEC SCHOOL, PORT-HARCOURT JEVIC SCIENCE ACADEMY, UYO

REDEEMER’S INTERNATIONAL SEC SCH, MARYLAND SACRED HEART CATHOLIC COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA SAINT BRIDGET’S COLLEGE, UMUEZE, ABA SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S JUNIOR SEMINARY 3-3

ONITSHA SAINT GREGORY’S COLLEGE, LAGOS SAINT THOMAS COLLEGE, AKURE SHARON ROSE COLLEGE, SAKI ST. JUDE PRIVATE SEC SCH., FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS ST. MICHEAL’S C.S.S., UMUEHILEGBU, UMUOCHAM STELLA MARIS COLLEGE, LIFE CAMP, ABUJA

THE INTERNATIONAL SCH. UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN

THE LAGOON SECONDARY SCHOOL, LEKKI TRINITY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, OFADA UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA SEC SCH., NSUKKA VIVIAN FOWLER MEM. COLLEGE FOR GIRLS,

IKEJA ZINNIA COLLEGE, IKEJA

MAXIMUM EXPECTED SCORE

MES

MINIMUM SCORE RECORDED

MSR

HIGHEST SCORE RECORDED

HSR

AVERAGE SCORE RECORDED

ASR

MINIMUM NATIONAL SCORE

MNS

MINIMUM EXPECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL SCORE (MESSS)

TEST 1 30 5 30 19.1 24 15

TEST 2 30 2 29 11.1 21 10

TEST 3 75 0.0 63.5 5.60 27 5.0

TOTAL 135 75 25

IGC NGC SGC EC CEC

Number of students

7 99 336 359 99

Percentage of students

0.8 11.2 38.1 40.7 11.2%

ANNUAL STATE HOSTING SELECTING OF NATIONAL TEAMS SUBJECTS

NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FESTIVAL