Gifted Education in Europe

Q: Malta, where I now live, is an insular environment. I teach a little English and in one class is a ten years old boy who seems to be gifted. In a poem he wrote for me he used three adjectives before a noun. His teacher sometimes defers to him. His interpersonal skills are very poor. His parents say integration is the thing, but I feel that he may be damaged by peer baiting. They also say that in Malta there is no other course for him. What to do? Assessment first I think, then perhaps the Internet? Are there 'get-togethers' in Europe for gifted people?

A: It is indeed unfortunate that this little boy appears to be creatively able, yet unawareness or lack of educational intervention for such a case in Malta is deterring him from further progressing. A child is usually viewed negatively on the average account when his/her interpersonal skills are poor and also leads to peer baiting which definitely does some damage.

I have found some websites for your reference. For educational information in Europe, you may want to surf the following site: Eurydice, is an institutional network for gathering, monitoring, processing, and circulating reliable and readily comparable information on education systems and policies throughout Europe.

You may also get in touch with the following organizations, which are excellent resources for gifted education in Europe.

EUROPE
Secretariat of ECHA
Bildundund Begabung e.V.
Wissenschaftszentrum
PO Box 20 14 48
D-53144 Bonn
Germany
Tel: +49 228 302 266
Fax: +49 228 302 270

Center for the Study of Giftedness
Catholic University of Nijmegan
Montessorilaan 3
PO Box 9104, 6500 HW Nijmegan
E-mail: CBO@psych.kun.nl
Tel: +31 +24 3616146
Fax: +31 +24 3615480
http://www.socsci.kun.nl/psy/cbo/engels.htm

National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE)
PO Box 252, Arnolds Way
Oxford OX2 9FR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 01865 861879
Fax: +44 01865 861880
E-mail: info@nace.co.uk
http://www.nace.co.uk

Association Francaise pour les Enfants Precoces (AFEP)
Sophie Cote, principal honoraire du College du Cedre au Vesinet
13 bis rue Albert Joly
78110 Le Vesinet
France
Tel: +33 1.34.80.03.90
Fax: +33 1.30.53.68.20
E-mail: afep@club-internet.fr
http://www.afep.asso.fr/

Douance
Based in France
http://www.douance.org/adr.htm

Tate - Society to Support Bright Children
Austrian-based organization
http://tate.at

I am afraid that this is all I can do as far as help is concerned in Europe. Sincerely hope the references will be of some help. It is always great to have teachers who care and go that extra mile to ensure a better future for that special kid.