Why gifted pupils need more support

Not all gifted children are receiving the support they need in Swiss schools, with an estimated up to one in five not fulfilling their potential. Time to take more action, the Federation of Swiss Teachers (LCH) says. The Swiss state school system runs along an integrative model to include a wide range of learners, but the focus often goes on children with special education needs, explained Beat A. Schwendimann, a board member at LCH, which represents teachers in German-speaking Switzerland. + Find out more about inclusive education in Switzerland here But gifted children also have special needs and require support. “Gifted education is often seen as an optional add-on,” he told swissinfo.ch via email. But it’s the school’s mission to develop the talents for all children, he added. Studies show that 15% to 20% of pupils would be capable of performing above the class average. That is why the LCH has drawn up a position paper, recently highlighted on its website, calling for ...