Why is it that people don't seem to think that gifted kids have any need for specialized academic accommodations?  Janet Murray, writer for "The Guardian," shared some responses of several people to the decision in the UK to scrap the "National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth. Funds that had gone to this program will be diverted to programs designed to help disadvantaged kids get into college.

Now, I'm all for helping disadvantaged kids.  Who wouldn't be?  What irks me is that people seem to think programs for gifted kids were just fluff and fun.  For example, one of the people in Murray's article, "Farewell to the gifted and talented scheme" said this: "At the same time as working towards targets for equality and diversity, schools were being asked to identify a group of young people to have extra support and lovely school trips."

Lovely school trips?  That's what gifted education is to this headteacher at Treviglas college? If that's what she thinks about gifted programs, then she either doesn't know about gifted education or ... no, there isn't any "or."

I would never want to deny any child the education he or she needs, so why do people want to deny the education that gifted kids need? 

What do you think?