School A was the only school in town. It trundled along as it
had done for tens of years. Then school B opened up, offering
a more challenging program. Many parents moved their children
over to School B and at the beginning of the next term,
School A was half empty.
The trustees of School A had an emergency meeting with the
principal. The conclusion was clear. To be able to remain
open, they would have to upgrade their own curriculum. They
sacked many of the older, easy-going staff and replaced them
with new, highly motivated teachers, keen to raise a new
generation of great talmidei chachomim. The school
announced higher standards, less time wasted on play, more
homework and stricter testing.
Attracted by the new levels, many parents moved their
children back to School A and School B found itself half
empty. Now school B had no choice but to upgrade itself to
even higher levels so as to enable it to regain its position
of being the `Top School.'
*
This cycle is taking place among secular schools as well as
in our own institutions. As a result, children are working
harder, from an earlier age, having more homework, being
tested more intensively, playing less, going to bed later and
getting less sleep than ever before.
And the tragic results are the same.
More children are failing and dropping out. The desired
higher standards are not being achieved, illiteracy is
increasing, children are less happy, more stressed, learning
problems are increasing and parents are having to spend more
money on therapy and special tuition.
Parents who appeal to the school to reduce the pressure meet
a stone wall. Educators cannot compromise on their new high
levels because they, too, are trapped. If they lower their
standards, they know that they will lose their clientele,
especially the high caliber students, and will have to close
down.
The root of the problem lies in the silent majority allowing
the system to follow the demands of the vocal minority who
are ambitious for their children.
The half who remained in School A were happy with their
relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. Some of those who first
moved over to School B did so because even though they, too,
were happy with School A, nevertheless, they felt obliged to
"do the best for their children."
When the trustees of School A decided to upgrade its
standards, they did not consult the parents, because they
assumed that raising the standard of the school can only be
good and, anyway, without it, the school would be doomed. And
when the parents heard that the school would be upgrading,
they assumed that the "school knows best" and anyway, what
can be wrong with the children learning more? Furthermore, if
the children in School B can accept a more intensive work
load, why can't their children?
It is possible that the parents who pushed for School B to be
opened were correct in assuming that their children were so
intelligent that they really did need a more challenging
program than that which School A offered.
A child who is truly a budding genius really has to have his
own customized schedule. It is not possible to blend his
requirements into a program for regular children. Either he
will be grossly under-stimulated or the regular children will
be grossly over-stressed.
Traditionally, such children did not go to cheider but
were sent to the great talmidei chachomim who learned
with each child individually and thereby developed the
child's potential. It is not realistic for a public
institution to be able to satisfy the requirements of such a
child.
Relating to the needs of a highly intelligent child within a
class setting does not consist of simply giving the child
more work to do. A highly intelligent child might be
chutzpadik, wild and impetuous. He needs exceptionally
intelligent and understanding teachers who know how to relate
to his intelligence and deal with his precociousness and how
to develop the child without suppressing him.
The highly intelligent child also requires a program
customized for his needs. The program will need to be
sufficiently challenging and flexible to meet his
requirements and adapt to his development as he matures.
His program also needs to be organized so that he gets more
time to play and burn up his excess energy. He also needs
special attention to ensure that he eats and drinks properly
and he also probably needs more sleep than the average
child.
Therefore, a school which attempts to remain `normal' and
cater to both regular and gifted children with the same type
of curriculum and timetable, runs the risk of attempting the
impossible and failing both groups.
Klall Yisroel has always been on guard against attempts to
change the education of our children from what is had been
for thousands of years. We are now seeing that attempts to
push the education of our children to unheard of levels can
have serious rebound effects.
