Gifted Education in Ireland

Abstract

This article will outline the current status of gifted education in Ireland. To fully understand the picture, one needs to look at the history of the Irish education system and how educational decisions are made in the country. Political climate is often an important factor in how people view special education programs and Ireland is no different in that regard. The article will also chart Ireland's attempts to define giftedness and how recent research in the gifted field has furthered our understanding in this area and can be used to broaden the sphere of programming that exists in Ireland for high-ability students.

Meeting the educational needs of a gifted child: A parent’s narrative

“…Often school programs and policies prioritize offering enrichment activities to all children and offering counseling and special education services to what they consider the “disadvantaged group.” In this myriad of activities, there is clear absence of financial and other resources directed toward needs of gifted children. In fact, education for the gifted is deemed to be an elitist idea (Adams-Byers et al, 2004; Kurup and Maithreyi, 2012; O’Reilly, 2012; Rotigel, 2003), where for a country like India with such a large population, providing resources for all becomes a more agonizing question than making special provisions for a mere 5–10% of the population.…”

Attitudes about gifted education among Irish educators

“…There are large-scale historical changes as well as specific performance-based factors (e.g., decline in PISA scores) at play at this time in history in the evolution of the Irish schools. For example, Irish schools are changing to increasingly include options that are less formally connected to the Catholic Church, which dominated the Irish education system throughout the 20 th century (O'Reilly, 2013). In addition, as the students making up the Irish schools become more ethnically and culturally diverse, best practices in education are being incorporated that include greater attention to the needs of the individual student.…”

“…With its historical emphasis on creating similar outcomes for all Irish students (O'Reilly, 2013), educators in Ireland are likely to have had little or no experience with providing special services to gifted students, including curriculum differentiation and acceleration. The Department of Education and Science (2007) has recommended differentiation for students with special educational needs (SEN), but the emphasis has been on serving the needs of students who cannot achieve without support, not those who are exceptionally able.…”

Social coping and self-concept among young gifted students in Ireland and the United States: a cross-cultural study

“…Building on the research developed from Coleman's (1985) Stigma of Giftedness Paradigm, this study examines students' social coping and the relationship of coping to selfconcept. To better understand the universality of the social experience of students with gifts and talents, these constructs are explored in the US and in Ireland, which has a very different history of providing services to students with gifts and talents (O'Reilly, 2013). The following research questions guided the study:…”