Why do schools (or is it just my child's school) want parents to take responsibility for this ?

[indignatio]

It's all in the title.

What are you on about lijaco?

What is this thread on about???

what seeker said. the school should do everything it can to ensure all its pupils (whether g&t, sn, or (if I'm allowed to use this word) average) aren't bored whilst they;re in school. but ultimately, as parents, the buck stops with us. and if they get 30 hours of non-boring school time and it isn't enough for our children (for whatever reason - whether it's because it doesn't cater for their particular interests or for their levels of ability) then it's up to us to do something about that. I find it very odd to see it any other way.

One thing that has struck me over the years are that some parents grumble loudly about the school failing to provide for their gifted children, yet overlook all the unofficial opportunities for a gifted child to learn more that are inherent in the work they do do.

Story writing gives unlimited opportunity to stretch yourself. Most history and geography can be done to a far higher level than the bare minimum. Music lessons are offered, which gives unlimited opportunities, not least to the mathematically gifted child.

Our schools, even at infants level, also set little extra research projects that children can do at home: I remember dd doing something on Argentina. Again- this sort of thing gives absolutely unlimited opportunities for a child who wants to do extra work (not that dd did at that time- but that was her fault, not the school's).

These tasks are not limited to gifted children- but a gifted child can make so much more of them.

To some people it seems like work has to be labelled G&T to be worthwhile.

It also strikes me that some (only some!) parents of gifted children have a very passive approach to learning. They think of it not as something their children do, but as something that is done to them, either by the parent or the teacher.

I see the results of this at uni: often highly intelligent students who seem to think it is my job to predigest the material and present it at exactly the right level and then stimulate them enough to make them want to swallow the pre-chewed pieces. Students who think they have a right never to be bored, to be constantly stimulated by somebody else, and who see the first moment of tedium as an excuse to stop working. The ones who most often fall down are not the dim ones - they tend to work hard!- but the ones who cannot motivate themselves because nobody has asked them to do that before.

Of course it is too much to expect a 4yo to motivate themselves, but if you do feel rightly at this stage that it is the school's fault if the child is not motivated, you need to be prepared to gradually phase these ideas out as your child grows older.

totally agree cory - I think one of the most important thing we and our schools can impart to our children is responsibility for themselves. in the real world no-one actually cares that much if you're bored. it's up to you to jump at the myriad of available opportunities not to be bored. (when I did some lectures I came across exactly what you describe - from students who didn;t do the blummin reading I had set...nincompoops...I blamed it on their US education - not sure if I was right about that or not but I had an inkling they expected me to do all the work)

Are you OK indignatio? You don't sound like your usual self, if that's fair to say. Is ds unhappy?

Thanks Bink

I am calmer now.

Sorry everyone for the ranting nature of my posts.

No apology needed by me, indignatio - I was concerned about you ... do update on dreamers' thread if you like?