Gifted Education in various countries of Europe

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Nowadays, gifted education varies considerably from country to country. On one hand, there are countries with elaborated special gifted programmes, and on the other hand there are countries, which are not even recognising terms such as giftedness and gifted children. Most countries provide support of the gifted children with the help of various organizations. Apart of the system of schooling of the gifted, also organizations supporting the gifted children are mapped. Very often there is a view, even among educationalists, that gifted education is elitist and that gifted children would do just fine without any intervention. These are myths which when believed can inhibit the opportunity to maximise the potential of gifted children. Gifted children require special attention, otherwise their talents can be lost without noticing. This article is a part of greater holistic research on gifted education and it particularly discusses different ways the gifted children are educated in several countries in Europe.