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to give up.

The reasons all students do not qualify for GATE programs are (1) all students are not the same and (2) non-qualifying students lack something qualifying students possess a gift and or a talent. This isn't to say there is something wrong with non qualifying students. It only ensures that students are placed in classrooms that will benefit them the most. After all, if all students possessed qualifying gifts and or talents to pass GATE assessment tests, GATE recommendations would never need to be made and assessment tests would not to be given.

With all that said and despite the fact that the purpose of Gifted and Talented Education Programs is to assist in growing the minds of student participants, the fact of the matter is, at least to some degree, Gifted and Talented Education Programs are "elitist". It's rather impossible for the programs not to be. They deal with dynamics involved in educating students whose learning abilities surpass their peers - students whose achievements could be academically hampered if they were not engaged in accelerated learner programs.

Furthermore, if GATE programs were not elitist, there wouldn't be so many parents setting their sights on entering their children in gifted and talented programs before their children even enter kindergarten. Many of these parents can be found hanging around schools, asking questions about gifted and talented programs, finding out info about the schools' gifted and talented teachers, etcetera in order to figure out how to get their children into these classes. They don't want regular classes for their children because they believe their kids will receive better educations in GATE classes.

As all things in life have opposites weak versus strong, happy versus sad, hideous versus beautiful, etcetera, it's only natural that the classification of gifted and talented persons has an inverse. If all infants entered the world in gifted and or talented mindsets, the concept of gifted and or talented would be eradicated. Likewise, and consequently, mental retardation, the opposite of gifted and talented would also become extinct. It would make no more sense to place students capable of advanced instruction in regular classes as it would make to place students requiring special learning instruction in regular classes.

Although we as people have come to understand and to assist children born with special needs like mental retardation, no parent-to-be ever says he or she wants to beget children that are mentally retarded. The fact is that high on the list of characteristics mother hopefuls aim for in men they tend to mate with and when seeking sperm donors at sperm banks is a man's intelligence level.

While there's no avoiding the fact that parents would much prefer bearing children possessing Einstein like traits than witless wonders. There's also no avoiding the fact that many parents seeking the best educations for their children outside of private schools would prefer their children be placed in GATE programs with bunches of smart kids to bounce their intellect off. There is also no mistaken the not always subtle smirk in a parent's voice when revealing their child is in a gifted and talented education program.

Learn more about this author, R. Renee Bembry.
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