PREFACE
Terms of Reference
On 17 October 1985, the Senate resolved that the Standing Committee on
Education and the Arts inquire into and report upon:
The education of gifted and talented children.
The Senate decided that the Committee should consider a number to matters
related to the terms of reference. These were:
-
consider whether special provisions need to be made for gifted and talented
childre;
-
consider the extent to which schools generally have the objective of pursuing
excellence;
-
review programs for gifted and talented children throughout Australia;
-
evalueate the effectiveness of current Commonwealth Government programs;
-
consider the extent to which special Commonwealth educational assistance
programs are necessary or useful to meet the needs of gifted and talented
children;
-
consider the desirability or otherwise of integrating special provisions
for gifted and talented children into mainstream education;
-
consider whether the pursuit of excellence in mainstream education is consistent
with providing for the educational needs of all children;
-
determine whether additional resources are needed and whether these may
be justified;
-
investigate the need for special provision for giofted and talented children
from special populations, for example, Aborigines and migrants;
-
advise on the preparation of teachers to meet the needs of gifted and talented
children;
-
investigate appropriate educational approaches to the education of gifted
and talented children.
Conduct of the Inquiry
This inquiry was commenced by the Standing Committe on Education and the
Arts. The Committee advertised for submissions in the major Australian
daily newspapers at the end of October 1985. In all, 171 submissions were
received. Those who forwarded submissions included the Commonwealth Government,
all State Governments, teachers, parents, educational administrators, researchers
counsellors and other interested groups and individuals. A list of the
organisations and individuals who made submission to the inquiry appears
in Appendix 1 to this report.
Public hearings were held in Canberra and in all State capitals between
20 February 1986 and 16 December 1986. The Committee took evidence from
89 witnesses, whose names appear in Appendix
2 to this report.
During the course of the inquiry, the Committee visited ten schools
to observe the teaching of gifted children. In Western Australia, the schools
were Cloverdale Primary Extension and Challenge
Centre, John Curtin Senior High School, Swanbourne
Senior High School, Duncraig Senior High Schools, Lynwood
Senior High School and Rossmore Primary Extension
and Challenge Centre. Two schools were visited in Adelaide, namely Hawthorndene
Primary School and Blackwood Junior Primary
School. In Hobart, the Committee visited Bellerive
Primary School, Princes Street Primary School
and the Gifted and Talented Resource Centre.
Progress Report
On 17 November 1986 the Committee tabled a brief progress report, outlining
the work which had been completed until that time on the reference and
giving details of the proposed program of visits and hearings.
The Reference Referred to the Select Committee
A double dissolution of the Houses of Parliament occurred on 5 June 1987.
After the 35th Parliament took office, the Senate Standing Committee on
Education and the Arts was reconstituted as the Standing Committee of Employment,
Education and Training, with only one Senator of the former Committee amongst
its members. In order to keep faith with the many persons who had taken
considerable time and effort to put their views on the education of gifted
and talented children before the former Committee, the Senate resolved
on 22 September 1987 to establish a Select Committee to complete the inqury
and report to the Senate on or before the first day of sitting in 1988.
This was later extended to 26 May 1988. The Select Committee on the Education
of Gifted and Talented Children comprised three available members of the
former Committee and one additional member.
Acknowledgements
The Committee expresses its appreciation to those who contributed to the
inquiry through written submissions and to those who appeared personally
before the Committee to give oral evidence. It also wishes to thank the
teachers, students and administrators of the educational instututions that
were visited during the course of the unquiry. Those who made submissions
but who did not appear before the Committee may be assured that their contributions
were taken into consideration during the Committee's deliberations.
The Committee also records its appreciation of the dedication of Mr
Terry Brown, Mr Nell Bessell, Mr Greg Killen, Ms Barbara Allen and the
numerous steno-secretaries in the Committee Office who assisted the Committee
in the conduct of its inquiry. Mr Brown was the Committee Secretary prior
to the double dissolution and his assistance was invaluable. Finaly thanks
are due to the Select Committee's Secretary, Mr Tony Magi, for his assistance
in the report writing stage.
Mal Colston
Chairman
The Senate
Canberra
March 1988
