to loathe the smuggery that goes with any G&T post

[FunnysInTheGarden]

' oh my dc is miles and miles ahead of her peers, but I really want her to keep it real and mix with the thick folk just so that she understands that we are all different. Obv she'll move to private for her GCSE's'

FFS, when I was young there was no G&T and we all got on with it. I would have been a G&T type, but so glad there wasn't the distinction then. Tis shite

I always maintain that G&T, in many cases, stands for Gobby and Tiresome.

"I would have been a G&T type"

Nice bit of smug stealth boasting there.

What I loathe about MN is how no one can talk about a right child without being perceived as smug and up for ridicule.

I find it really quite hard to talk about dd's abilities in RL or on here for fear of sounding smug. Then I feel crap because I am extremeply proud of her and should be making that clear. So thanks OP - really helpful post.

They are no more smug than the other end of the spectrum is "whiney"

What a ridiculous op.

G&t is a soft target, and its very easy to jump onto the smug twattery bandwagon. I'd also be interested in seeing excerpts from threads that fit in with your accusation.

Like morality said - it should be really easy given your feelings about any g&t post.

G&T is around the top 20% at our place. So it means, top set children. It isn't that exclusive.

I think the first thing here is to make sure everyone understands the difference between a G&T child and the G&T register. The G&T register is a load of old bollox that means nothing. My nephew was on the G&T register at his school for some subject or other. He didn't get above a great C in GCSE for anything - not even that subject.

My DD is G&T .

She is also SEN.

We like labels in our house.

Fellatio they can be on it for sport as well as academics.

I should have made it clear that I agree it's bollocks.

I don't find the posters who use the G and T area smug, but a lot of the "my child must be gifted and talented because he's 3 and at nursery and can hold a spoon" are, of course uber-smug.

G and T is approx 20% of all children,(depending on regional areas etc) so tbh, anyone being smug about their child being effectively the same as one fifth of the entire population of schoolchildren of a comparable age must be a bit, er, not very gifted or talented.

There was no G and T back in the day, they made me skip a year instead, on my own, which was , of course brilliant. You get to have the piss taken out of you for being clever by 2 whole year groups instead of 1.

I find post like the OP full of ignorance and show a lack of understanding about what the G&T register is about. Thre are parents that have children on the register that don't understand what its about too, but then you also see that at the other end of the spectrum with parents worrying unneccesarily when their child is given an IEP. They are just tools that schools use to ensure children get what they need.

My ds was on G&T at primary school but he was also on SA+ because of his AS. I doubt most parents could give a shit about what register their children are on, as long as their needs are met.

My children are way too young to be G&T at anything, but when I read post like the OP I just think 'chippy, insecure, and jealous'.

Of course it's laughable. If 20% are G&T then you know yourself - having once been a school pupil , that 20% of your peers were not all that and a bag of chips! Even if you went to a fancy-shmancy school like wot I done!

You must find a way to forgive them though, because they clearly don't know they're being dicks. Smile, nod, move on. :)

I don't understand where the 20% is coming from?

I've always understood it as 10% as it says in this link....

The DfE definition applies the word 'gifted' to those pupils who show exceptional ability in any national curriculum subject except art, PE or music. The word 'talented' identifies pupils who excel in those 3 subjects.

The National Strategy defines gifted and talented pupils as those in the top 10% of every cohort. Basically this means that these terms are to be applied relatively rather than absolutely so that all schools are expected to identify their top 10% of achievers and make differentiated provision for them. The majority of schools have always done this but most probably referred to this group of pupils as 'more able' rather than 'gifted and talented'. Many schools still prefer to use the term ?more able?.

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/education/parents/learning/giftedandtalentedchildren.htm

I think you are overgeneralising, OP. There are certainly some posts like that, and they are often told so by other posters, but parents of profoundly gifted dcs do need somewhere to talk because it can be isolating not be able to discuss school problems with friends in real life without committing social suicide. Mumsnet seems a reasonable place for those parents to meet and help each other.

I agree the G and T register is a meaningless labelling exercise.

What Asinine said. Three types of posts on g & t forum:

1. "my dc has got to be g& t because he counted to five/read Harry Potter/burped- how can I make sure his future school does not fail him". Outcome: other posters tell OP it doesn't mean anything and to calm down.

1. "my dc has just been put on the g & t register, what does this mean?"

Outcome: other posters explain what it means (i.e. not a lot).

1. "my dc finds it difficult to fit in, he is not given any work on a suitable level and the other children call him a nerd"

Outcome: other posters suggest strategies.

I don't see that no 3 posts are really that different from my own concerns over ds at the other end of the academic spectrum. And they certainly don't come across as smug.

My daughter's not gifted or talented, but she's on the register. She doesn't know it and I wouldn't want her to. She's thinks she knows it all anyway, having just turned 11. If she knew she was on a register she'd be even more big headed than her hormones are making her.

It's nonsense. She just happened to be an early reader, which meant that she was strong in literacy. She's got no 'gift' for it just a natural leaning towards the subject.

When she gets to her local comp in September there will be kids there who are truly gifted and talented. What a shock that would be for her if she thought she was 'G&T'.

She knows she's better at literacy than some kids, but she also knows they're better at other stuff than she is. And we've taught her that there's always someone better than you at something...you have to value what you have for what it means to you, not where it 'ranks' you in the world! Otherwise you'd drive yourself daft comparing yourself to others all the time.

Sadly, that doesn't stop her thinking she knows more than I do, but hey ho :)

I said 20% at our place: it is an academy and they have expanded their cohort. Others are doing the same.

I think saying any g&t post is ridiculous.

The most smug posts I ever read tend to be ones about pre-schoolers and usually mention reading [gribble]

I have a child with learning difficulties and another child who is a big old brain box - never got lower than an A in every exam he ever took all through school to A level - but still probably not gifted. My other, deeply average child is by far the happiest and the one I worry about least.

I think living with a truly gifted child must raise huge issues. I wouldn't relish it and I think trying to get real life support must be nigh on impossible

They've also changed it to most able rather than 'gifted'.

At the end of the day it is an exercise to show schools are identifying and providing for the brighter students, just as they identify and provide for the C/D borderline students and the weaker students.

YABVU. Actually you cannot deduce the tone of a post from black and white pixels on a screen.

You are expecting smugness and so find it even if it isnt there.....

Your perception, your problem....you deal with it.