Research at Neofuture
The Need for National Interests Offers Gifted Education Strong Theoretical Supportl
(The Inspirations of the Development
of Chinese Gifted Education to Us)
In June 1998, when receiving academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Jiang Zemin, the leader of China then, pointed out that “both the development of science and technology and the progress of social undertakings rely on continuous innovation, and innovation counts on talents, especially the constant emergence of young gifted persons”.
In June 2006, Hu Jintao, the leader of China then, delivered a key speech at the Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stressing that “we should cling to the strategic thinking that talents are the primary resource and expedite the cultivation of innovative scientific and technological talents”.
Education is essential to the constant emergence of young gifted persons. The educational slogan of “gifted education” began to be put forward in China. This is required by the social development of China and the times and is the new requirement of national interests for education.
China had put gifted education aside for quite a long time. China has a vast territory and a large population, so mass education and universal education were the whole of Chinese education. However, after the reform and opening up, education experienced drastic changes. In the 1980s, the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping proposed that “education must be oriented to modernization, the world and the future”, which broke new ground for Chinese education and enabled gifted education to germinate. Moreover, the speeches of Chinese leaders of the following terms precisely reflect the rapid advancement of society’s understanding of education.
Chinese gifted education, which commenced in the 1980s, is now still at the experimental stage when compared with the developed countries in the world. To meet the needs of China to advance the Four Modernizations and foster more outstanding talents early, gifted education, as a new thing called by the times, broke through the out-of-bounds area and was established and developed in the realms of science and education in China. Since 1978, Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Science and Technology of China and nearly all the other key universities in China have set up experimental classes, such as “Child Prodigy Class” and “Elite Class”, to train top-notch talents. Chinese educators have overcome numerous difficulties (the change in people’s mentality and the breakthrough of thinking) and conducted multifaceted studies on gifted students. In these gifted education classes established, gifted education courses have been designed, textbooks for gifted education have been compiled, and experimental studies have been performed on all aspects of the growth of gifted students, including comparative studies, case studies and follow-up studies.
Despite the support from Chinese central leadership, the obstruction against gifted education remains enormous, and the road is tortuous and has gone through many relapses.
Over the past 20-odd years since China embarked on the road of gifted education, many universities and middle schools in China have been experimenting with gifted education on a smaller scale, and many of the experiments in gifted education are distinctive and have made remarkable achievements. The experiments stick to elementary education as the advantage of Chinese education, and firmly grasp basic knowledge and fundamental skills as the foundation of all learnings and the source of innovation; the experiments persist in curriculum reform, gradually changing the strategic concept of “deepening, accelerating” and “applying and mastering” traditional courses to the strategic concept of “research”; the experiments persist in the application of information technology and use modern teaching techniques to trigger the fundamental changes in teaching methods and learning methods; the experiments also insist on education putting national interests first and require students to study hard to ascend the mountain of science and make their own contributions to the revitalization, prosperity and powerfulness of their motherland in the future. Batches of gifted students have completed the learning tasks of elementary and secondary schools and universities in a shorter period of time with excellent academic performance and a healthy physique. At present, most of them have obtained or are pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees at home or abroad. Since China’s reform and opening up, gifted education has provided a large number of outstanding young talents to all facets of the development of the country, especially high-tech areas represented by modern science and technology such as computer, biological engineering and aerospace technology, making an exceptional contribution.
In developed countries, gifted education is also a part of scientific and educational development just like mass education. In retrospect, they also had different opinions and heated debates about gifted education. But, over time, people came to reach a consensus and became aware of the necessity and significance of gifted education and the necessity to focus on the need of national interests. Fortunately, contradictions in fair education were eased by the progress of information technology. Besides, educational reform was triggered by modern teaching techniques: all educational resources of schools of mathematics and science can be shared by all students through web-based instruction and distance teaching. Classroom education can enter into global mathematics and science databases and be shared by schools of mathematics and science and all other students. The guidance of scientists, the utilization of collegiate research facilities, and exchanges between students of similar levels around the world will all provide equal educational opportunities for students from urban and rural areas and students with outstanding academic achievements or ordinary academic performance. All resources are open to students, and they can take what they need.
Starting in 2012, Chinese gifted education will enter into mainstream education from the experimental stage, and will quickly approach developed countries in the world. Shanghai, as a metropolis with the same international status as New York, proposed to develop middle schools as the cradle of world-class scientific and technological talents like North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in America, Stuyvesant High School in New York, and Bronx High School of Science in New York. The Ministry of Education of China proposed that it is also the responsibility and obligation of the Chinese nation to stand on the podium of the Nobel Prize, obtain the world’s highest honors in science and technology, and solve the world’s math conundrums side by side with the most advanced mathematical research teams in the world. The future growth of gifted education in China will certainly bring significant changes to the mindsets and concepts of the entire nation. Furthermore, the development of Chinese education and its globalization will also provide more opportunities for the world to learn about the quintessence of Chinese culture.
In the present world, people are increasingly feeling the forceful surge and impact of the scientific and technological revolution, and our high school education needs to productively study gifted education in the implementation of the reform of well-rounded education at the critical moment when the scientific and technological development of China needs outstanding talents. We must continue our present practice, consolidate the achievements we have made and make more new attempts on this basis.
Chinese experts in secondary education suggested that we may launch a project called “High School Gifted Education”. It is hoped that the implementation of this project can enable all the students taught by project schools to reach challenging global academic standards, acquire the problem-solving ability and the awareness and capability of academic exchange, and master computer, foreign languages and other technical skills at the same time. The district education bureau, the municipal education commission, and the Ministry of Education of China will conduct follow-up studies and evaluations of project schools, provide information, expert guidance and funds, and support in-depth studies and experience accumulation.
Experts held that the specific application procedures for “High School Gifted Education” can be: after the school applies, the district education bureau and municipal education commission assess, then the national ministry of education conducts field investigation and evaluation, and finally project schools are determined and sign the project agreement. The government should set specific objectives for the “High School Gifted Education” project. Schools should take practical measures to attract all teachers and students to the project, and have the research abilities to collect data and evaluate scientifically; possess the technical abilities to summarize information and propagate results, and own high-level teaching abilities comparable to developed countries in the world.
To reach the objectives set by the government, experts believe that project schools can take the following measures in various respects, including theory, objective, technique and environment: 1. develop a deep understanding of the relationship between gifted education and national interests; 2. set high academic standards and expectations; 3. design courses that are fit for students; 4. create a favorable learning environment; 5. bring forward high-quality classroom teaching; 6. evaluate students’ problem-solving ability and innovation capability; 7. set higher standards for students’ research capabilities, ability to apply modern technologies and foreign language proficiency; 8. improve the expertise of teachers and attach importance to the training of leading teachers; 9. build ties with prestigious universities and institutions of higher learning at home and abroad; 10. schools, parents and society jointly support the implementation of the “High School Gifted Education” project.
Experts asserted that we also need to make a plan for the training of gifted education teachers. The training of gifted students entails gifted teachers, for only gifted teachers can cultivate gifted students. Gifted education will be a long-term educational plan for our country, so we must also make a long-term training plan for gifted education teachers.
Experts believed that to promote gifted education, the country should use national strength to support the “High School Gifted Education” project when the conditions are ripe if necessary, such as laying down laws about gifted education, formulating comprehensive plans for gifted education, developing the contents and methods of gifted education, laying down regulations for the establishment and management of schools and classes of gifted education, making teacher training plans for gifted education, and formulating other policies related to gifted education.
The need for national interest provides strong theoretical support for the launch of gifted education. Currently, Chinese education circles are carrying out gifted education in middle schools and universities quietly yet vigorously. A new round of curriculum reform, textbook compilation, and a new round of the college entrance examination system are underway in full swing, with simultaneous compilation, experimentation, summarization, and revision. Batches of prominent talents of all ages in different disciplines and fields are coming forward. China’s gifted education is growing in depth.