An Examination of the Development of the Concept of Gifted Education in the United Kingdom an Analysis of the Current Position with Suggestions for a Positive Way Forward

This paper gives a brief summary of the background of educational development in the United Kingdom in the 20th Century. The growth of concern for the needs of exceptional children is described within this framework and various reasons are suggested for the reluctance of many educators to use the term ‘gifted’ in the context of state education in the United Kingdom. Recent government guidelines however, have requested Local Education Authorities to review their curriculum policy and specifically mention that attention must be paid to the needs of exceptionally able pupils. The writers suggest that the way forward is for schools to examine the quality of their provision for all pupils and to analyse the extent to which pupils have the opportunity to reveal their talents and abilities, thereby signalling their need for further extension within the school curriculum.