to think that, in general, people in the UK have an appalling attitude towards academically bright children?

[AKMD]

I realise that that's a sweeping generalisation but it irks me. I am academically bright and had a dreadful time at school, not really from the other children, but from the teachers and friends' parents, who were quite sneery and mocked me infront of the whole class/friends if I ever did get anything wrong. It always felt that they were waiting for me to trip up and that they resented me just because I was good all-rounder (terrible at art though!). That was only 7 years ago. Since then, I've seen it happen time and again when people openly jeer at others who are clever, especially girls and women, and it's seen as completely acceptable. Just a few weeks ago on here, I was really shocked when a mother posted in Children's Books about her 18mo DD liking books and asked for age-appropriate suggestions, to be met with sarcasm about introducing her to Joyce and applying to Mensa. I've seen one regular MNer who clearly has bright children be sneered at when she said that the gap between her DDs' intellectual and emotional maturity caused them social problems: "Oh, poor you, it must be sooo hard to have clever children ."

AIBU to think that this attitude is disgusting and that the obstacles placed in the way of bright children are one of the reasons why we as a country are increasingly going to struggle to compete in a global market?

gramercy the Sutton Trust looks way beyond London.

I don't know of any schools round here that don't offer triple science.

In my experience at school, and if I can modestly describe myself as bright (I certainly got pretty good grades), I never saw a great deal of bullying. I think everyone at school gets mocked to some extent, because they wear glasses or ginger hair, and in a way, and how you deal with it is a part of growing up

I don't know any schools in our area that don't offer 3 sciences.

As an ex teacher I loved teaching the very bright-it was very rewarding.

Those who don't have any schools in their area not offering triple science. I wasn't allowed at school because it wasn't the done thing. I was allowed to do 2 and forced to do music to make up my number of subjects.

DH was only allowed to study for the bottom paper in maths because 'children around here don't get good grades.' They didn't even attempt to try out slightly harder work on class to see if they could do it. This was even though DH and a few of his class were completing the work in half the class time and consistantly scoring high marks.

As for the attitude of just having to put up with bullying imo that is one of the things that is wrong on this country. For many children out there the bullying is so intense it destroys them. That is so wrong that nobody should have to put up with.

Yesterday the 3 brightest boys in dd's class bullied a child with special needs because she was "thick". Bullying is not nice but it happens to lots of children not just the brightest.

Sadly DCs get bullied and it can happen to any, with any excuse-too bright, not bright enough, too good looking, not good looking, too much money, not enough money-the list is endless , depressingly so.

Classic example of this in the paper today,apparently one of the finalists on X factor this year (group member)comes from a very disadvantaged background but with help from the Sutton Trust and hard work he got to Cambridge and left with a 2:1 in history.

Apparently he was told to keep it quiet by the X factor people as if the public knew he had been to Cambridge they wouldn't vote for him

The public may feel that having a degree from Cambridge gave him enough opportunities and that is what these supposed talent shows are all about - who is the most deserving of the opportunity. The public don't vote for wealthy contestents either.

maypole no need to be rude. I do know children who are 'bright' and have said that. I have known 3 gifted children. I think there is a difference between able and truely gifted which I have stated many times.
And I don't agree that a child who has a gift (sport/art/acedemics) should be pushed if they don't want to be. That's my personal opinion after knowing a pushed gifted child who commited suicide because he felt he wasn't going to reach the potential he had been pushed to.
I don't disagree they can lack self belief ot be shy - but any one can be these things gifted or not.
It is unacceptable and ignorant to assume that because I disagree I don't have a clue. You do not know what I do for a start.

That may be true civliz but it is typical of this country that we regard intellectual success as something to be ashamed of or some sort of unfair advantage.

The person in question had gone from being in care to success at the highest level,isn't that a good example to others ,after all we know about the other contestants disadvantages in life

I have never, ever felt ashamed of my academic achievements, although they are not as glamorous as dh's, who obtained his degree from Oxford and without a doubt it certainly gave him a massive advantage in terms of access to opportunities - so I would be inclined not to vote for someone with an Oxbridge degree or someone who was rich and well connected. Actually I don't vote or watch the show but my sympathies will always lie with the underdog. The kid who got the Cambridge degree will make it - he has already shown he can make it against all the odds.

I simply don't live in the same world as you, I don't recognise this country you speak of where "intellectual success as something to be ashamed of or some sort of unfair advantage".

While I don't think academic achievement is something to be ashamed of, it certainly isn't something that needs to be constantly referred to and that is what is happening, parents and children banging on about how clever they are, it's enough to make me want to stick pins in a voodoo doll. No one minds clever children - arrogant, boastful children are horrid imo.

I agree no one likes boastfulness or arrogance but we have a massive problem with under achievement in our scoops in this country especially amongst boys in the inner cities.It just frustrates me that here was a chance to show the asses that it is possible for a boy from the exact background that are under achieving to succeed in academic terms and still be "cool".Cambridge us not just for bespectacled privileged middle class children it is for everyoneand we so need to get that message across .

Somehow we don'thave any problem celebrating football talent but maths that's a different matter

Sorry posting on my phone obviously I meant schools not scoops and masses notasses

I don't recognise this world either. By the time it came to the run up to exams that counted, I remember being clever as viewed as a good thing by just about everyone. I'll ask my brother whether he feels his lofty academic status was acheived despite the low grade, low aspiration education he apparently received.

Bullying is terrible. But all the bullying that has come to my attention since dcs started school has been by bright children directed at those perceived as "thick". So it's not something that only happens to bright children. Fortunately the schools have been very firm in dealing with it.