Many plans underway for ‘talented’ students – MoE
KUWAIT CITY, March 9: In response to a question submitted by MP Falah Al-Hajri, the Ministry of Education confirmed that it is studying several educational plans that guarantee the care given to distinguished students, reports Al-Qabas daily.
The Ministry stated that the distinguished students are many and they excel in more than one field. There are those who are distinguished in scientific fields such as “mathematics, science, languages and literature”, and there are those who are distinguished in other fields, and there are those who are distinguished in the artistic fields “painting, sculpture, music, decoration” and others.
This is in addition to other fields such as public speaking, broadcasting, media, organizing exhibitions, etc., and the Ministry of Education bears the responsibility of developing and nurturing these talents.
The sources indicated that there is no single entity specialized in caring for the gifted children, but the responsibility is shared among the relevant authorities.
The first entity that discovers these talents is the school administrations through the learner’s practice of his activities, and after that comes the role of technical guidance to develop appropriate “enrichment” programs for each field and they are followed up with teachers supervising students, and these talents are included in activities and competitions, whether local, regional or international.
Hence the role of the Educational Development and Activities Sector, which supervises the participation of these groups and contributes to providing appropriate care for them. The sources said the Education Ministry did not stop the mechanism for identifying gifted students in schools, and annually procedures are organized that will identify them through “competitions and activities”, and they are followed up and enrichment programs are allocated for them through the administrations of the schools hosting them and technical guidance, and among those programs:
■ Assigning these groups special activities and following up on their evaluation
■ Providing them with appropriate ways to hone their talents, such as guided reading or rehabilitation programs
■ Communication with various national institutions; To find out ways to benefit from the programs of these institutions and how to support these groups
In addition to what was previously mentioned, the Ministry of Education had established a mechanism for students participating in international forums and external competitions, in the form of organizing decisions and regulations that guarantee their rights and guarantee their moral rewards before material ones, such as:
■ Preparing a compensatory schedule for the learner to explain and teach the subjects he missed.
■ The learner does the daily work in the academic subjects he is present in, and he does not do the subjects he is absent from.
■ The period of absence is not counted within the periods of absence specified in the regulations.
■ Postponement of exams, whether written, practical or oral, for students participating in international competitions or for those representing Kuwait in any external or internal forum.
■ Honoring students mainly at the school, district and Ministry of Education levels.
■ The Ministry of Education had a unique experience in cooperation with the Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness, which resulted in the establishment of a school for the gifted, the “Joint Talent Academy,” in order to take care of and incubate these groups.