Tall poppies in two education systems - cut, conserved or cultivated? : how do contextual factors influence the official educational approach towards gifted and talented children? : the case of Norway and Victoria (Australia)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to uncover the conditions for gifted and talented children in the Norwegian and Victorian (Australian) education systems. More specifically it discusses how contextual factors influence the official educational approach towards gifted and talented children.

Methods: In order to provide information about the two cases, literature review and analyses of policy papers and curricula were conducted.

Results: It was found that the role of gifted children was determined by ideology such as egalitarianism, curriculum traditions, political changes and cultural factors such as the degree of individualism and collectivism. Secondly, there were found indications of global changes in education policy that are improving the conditions for gifted to a certain extent in the two geographical areas. Moreover, the document analyses show that gifted children are not acknowledged as a group in the Norwegian papers, but are included in the general principle of ‘Adapted Education’. However, some ideological changes the last decade have opened up for greater degree of organisational differentiation measures. Victorian education policy does not state specific goals for gifted education. Nevertheless, the public school together with private initiatives are organising several education programs and school provisions for gifted pupils in the state. There are also national initiatives for an improved and more consistent approach to gifted education throughout the Commonwealth of Australia. Finally, the study of policy papers shows that education for social equalisation is a main purpose of the Norwegian school system, whereas there is great emphasis on standards and achievement of the individual pupils in Victorian policy.

Conclusions: The results of this study has shown that the Norwegian school system has moved from a collectivistic to a more individualistic approach to gifted children towards individualism, whilst an individualistic approach has been and is still dominant in the Victorian school system.