'Meet the youngest college kids'
Gifted children may seem blessed with superbrains which puts them years ahead of their classroom peers, but they often find it very hard to fit in...
Emer Hughes (13), who is set to attend CTYI
Like most students, Ciara Fitzpatrick from Blackrock, Co Dublin has a busy week, yet she's up early on Saturday mornings to prepare for her lectures in architecture and engineering at DCU.
Given that this is the Island of Saints and Scholars, you may think nothing of her work ethic. But when you consider that Ciara (below) is just seven years old and that she's already in her 2nd year at the Centre for Talented Youth in Ireland (CTYI), you can see that she's someone very special indeed.
Ciara's needs
are well understood at home, as her mother, Karen McCarthy, is xhairperson of the Irish Association for Gifted Children, and her two older brothers, Conor and Niall, also pursue weekend courses at CTYI.
"While parents should approach teachers to explain that their kids have additional needs, many feel uncomfortable mentioning it, so they don't, while others fear being fobbed off," says Karen.
"Often, they're told that their children aren't the only bright ones in the class, which is exasperating, given that there's a big difference between bright and gifted.
"A gifted child learns deeper and faster. They get the point as soon as it goes on the blackboard, but then they have to listen to it being repeated seven or eight times before they can move on."
Karen's views echo those of CTYI Director, Colm O'Reilly, who says: "Many exceptionally able children become bored and frustrated because they're not being sufficiently stimulated in the classroom.
"Lack of challenge can make them switch off altogether, under-achieve, and become average or even mediocre," he says. "That's why it's vital for them to meet others who share the same interests. CTYI gives them a better chance of staying motivated and reaching their potential in life."
Whereas years ago, gifted children tended to be bumped up a few classes, this practice is less common nowadays, as the consensus is that socially, they fare better with their own age group. But even with kids their own age, relations can be fraught, and as Colm says: "If their interests and vocabulary are more advanced than others, they can become isolated."
Karen says that her children have all endured teasing, smart comments, accusations of showing off in class and efforts by classmates to put them down, and she recalls the way it made her daughter feel: "One day Ciara said, 'I wish I wasn't gifted. I wish I was just regular. It's too much trouble having this brain of mine'."
Despite this, all three are happy at school and have good, loyal friends. "Ours are delightful, happy, confident, articulate and outgoing kids," says Karen. "They are ordinary kids, who play games and sport like everyone else."
Of course, while children can be perfectly ordinary in many ways, they can be extraordinary in others. Emer Hughes (13) from Cabinteely, Dublin is all set to attend CTYI for the first time this summer.
According to her mother, Niamh, Emer devours The Economist and has just finished a biography of Mo Mowlam. "Alistair Cooke and John Simpson are among her favourite writers," she says.
"It isn't enough for her to skim the surface of subjects such as current affairs and history, which interest her. She seeks a depth of knowledge which isn't available through the school curriculum. While she has many resources at home, the specialised courses at CTYI, such as international history, will be great for her."
According to Colm, more than 4,000 children take assessments, courses and classes at CTYI each year.
Among the list of former CTYI attendees are the likes of Evanna Lynch (below), better known as Luna Lovegood to Harry Potter fans. She intends returning to CTYI this summer to study fictional writing.
Primary school-going children attend Saturday classes at centres around the country, while older children up to the age of 16 pursue residential summer courses at the DCU campus.
Given that it's not uncommon to have more than one exceptionally-able child in a family, many wonder whether giftedness is genetic. "There is much debate on this issue as part of the nature/nurture theory," says Colm.
"Traditionally, giftedness was thought of as something you are born with, which was static throughout life. Modern theories hold that it's dependent on both environmental and genetic factors, as without access to proper resources there's a danger that gifted people won't reach their potential."
Surprisingly, 15pc of children attending CTYI are both gifted and have a learning difficulty, such as Asperger syndrome, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or ADHD.
"At school, these kids are constantly associated with their difficulties, but it's different here, as other kids aren't aware of this, so the focus is entirely positive and they can really enjoy themselves," says Colm.
Ireland is badly resourced when compared with England, where stg£10 million a year is provided to fund education for the gifted and talented.
Despite the Trojan work carried out by Colm O'Reilly and his team, CTYI receives only €100,000 per year from the Department of Education & Science.
- Rita de Brun
