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Doubts about gifted education strategy
Teachers will be given diversified training on how to nurture gifted students in schools while parenting guidance service will also be provided.
But the future academy is not planned to build a physical school, its courses and activities will be held at venues of the programme organisers, such as universities.
Since 2000, the government has adopted a three-tier operation mode in carrying out gifted education, with the first two levels encouraging schools to start school-based programmes to develop the thinking, creativity and social skills of students with relatively higher abilities. The third level is to focus on training a small elite of gifted students outside schools.
Lau Sing, director of the Centre for Child Development at the Hong Kong Baptist University , also finds the government lacks mission and vision in its gifted education policy.
Professor Lau suggests the government to learn from other countries like South Korea . He said the South Korean government had invested into a concrete gifted education policy and the training for gifted students covered specialisation in different fields, such as astronomy.
However, in Hong Kong , the existing system stresses much on competition, the expert on gifted education said. He cited an example of the training of children gifted in mathematics emphasising the International Mathematical Olympiad.
¡§If it is too competition-oriented, the original aim to nurture the gifted students will be altered,¡¨ Professor Lau said.
Even students are sceptical of the government¡¦s policy and implementation of its schemes.
The president of the Hong Kong Federation of the Exceptionally Gifted, Kei Chi-hung, said at present, there was insufficient emotional support and guidance for parents.
¡§I only receive a questionnaire for my parents once a year to review the scheme,¡¨ said Mr Kei, a form seven student who has joined the Support Measures of the Exceptionally Gifted Students Scheme launched in 2001.
He was nominated by his school to join the elite scheme. After a series of IQ tests and interviews, he took part in the leadership stream and has been a member since 2002. He highly values what he has learnt. He said he had broadened his horizons after taking part in an exchange programme to Shunde in Guangdong Province when he was only a form three student.
Chan Ka-wai, the principal of the G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College
