engleski

Inclusive Education and Gifted Children

The approach of inclusion in education actually constitutes an almost global educational policy. The Declaration of Salamanca (1994) has served as a starting point and a cornerstone of inclusive education policies. Even though in the aforementioned declaration gifted students are considered as students with special needs, in some countries, including Albania and Croatia, the whole attention is focused on the students with learning disabilities. The opinion that gifted students are able to progress even without any particular attention is inspired by a mythical portrayal and it is not based in research. In fact, studies have shown that this category of students, because of their asymmetric development, needs to be understood and addressed in such a way that they also meet their needs within the public education service. This article provides a theoretical summary in order to understand the concepts of “gifted student” and “talented student” based on the contribution of Françoys Gagné (2003). The authors examine the Interpretations of Behavior according to Saunders (1986) and point out arguments imposing the necessity to recognize the characteristics of such children both by educators and parents. In the article, careful treatment of these children is viewed from the perspective of social justice. The article includes also pros and cons related to the costs produced if gifted children are not discovered and considered as such. The authors conclude that their identification at an early age, as well as creating a nurturing environment around them in order to help their interaction with peers is highly important. On the other hand, the special training of teachers and parents for gifted children is essential in this context.

social justice, gifted children, inclusive education, academic achievement

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