The Gifted Child

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Abstract
Recently in Australia there has been a growing demand for alternative educational provisions for children identified as 'gifted'. In this article I argue that such an identification provides important ideological support for the restructuring of socio-educational opportunities in contemporary capitalist societies. A study of official reports and academic opinion indicates that advocates of 'the gifted' are elitist in their appraisal of potential educability. This perspective is strongly favoured by, and provides important support for, correlative changes occurring in general educational provision and in the mental-manual division of labour. 'Emerging socio-educational realities' increasingly endorse selective schooling practices and priorities based upon elitist appraisals of educability. This article supports, instead, educational strategies based upon a socio-historical understanding of intelligence and of intellectual development. Recent studies, which identify the decisive influence of class-cultural practices and priorities upon conventional school achievement, provide a rationale for inter ventionist educational strategies based upon the educability of all.

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