Evening star., 1950-06-05
Conant Group
Urges Help for
Gifted Children
Educators Advocate
Federal Assistance
To Extend Schooling

A recommendation that the Ma
tion's schools do more for the
mentally gifted child was made in
statement released today by the
Educational Policies Commission
of the National Education Associ-
alton.
James Bryant Conant. president
OF Harvard University, headed the
commissions subcommittee which
put together the study on what
Is lacking and what is needed in
the country's educational system
for proper training of the excep-
tionally talented child.
DR.. Conant said there was
nothing new or radical about
the report. that it just directed at
tention to particular problem.
He said the basic needs were to
have the schools identify excep-
tional children, develop them in
high school and then find some
way to provide scholarships to re-
move the economic barrier which
keeps many of them from further
education.
Many Made Into 'Loafers."
DR.. Willard E. Givens, execu-
tive secretary, said the present
system tended to make "loafers"
out of bright children in many
cases.
The report stated:
Too many gifted youths drop
out of school too early. Only half
go on to college.
Many gifted youths fail to get
the type of education that
would develop their potentialities.
Schools fail to challenge these
students.
All gifted youth (the top 10 per
cent in intellectual ability should
be educated with the expectation
that they will go to college. All
highly gifted youths the top /
per cent in intellectual ability
should be educated with the ex-
pectation that they will continue
higher education beyond college.
All schools and colleges should
make special provisions for the
education of the gifted.
More scholarship funds should
be made available to gifted youth.
More money should be devoted to
research in the psychology and
education of the gifted.
Tendencies Deplored.
The commission condemned
what it termed tendency to
idealize the average man and to
belittle the exceptional man"
The commission was set up by
the National Education .Associa-
ton and the American Association
of School Administrators Is years
ago to issue statements of policy.
DR.. Conant told a news con-
ference that less than half the
talents of gifted Americans are
now being used because they fail
to finish high school or college.
He added this may be due to
lack of money, or to lack of en-
couragement, or to disinterest be-
cause of faulty teaching methods,
overcrowded classrooms and the
like.
Scholarship aid to needy high
school students is highly desirable
but almost non-eXiStent." the
commission said.
ng-Range Benefits Cited.
"The expenditure of public
funds for this purpose can be
more than justified when the
long-range economic benefits are
considered"
The commission warned also
that the American ideal of caste
less society is endangered by So
cial and educational practices
which tend to recruit leaders in
business and the professions from
so-called upper-class families.
This system, the commission
said, restricts the vocational op-
portunities of youth from the
lower economic classes without re-
gard to individual ability.
ITO the extent that we permit
1t ones opportunities for educa-
ton and life work to be deter
mined by the social standing or
financial means of his parents, We
shall move in the direction of
stratifled, or closed, society,"" the
commission said.
"The American people must in
vest larger portion of their eco
nomic resources in the education
of individuals of superior talent.
Such an increase in investment
will result in disproportionately
large return in social dividends"