International Horizons of Talent Support, I.

Having long traditions in the search and development of talented children, Hungarian talent support has gained new impetus through several initiatives in the past few decades, though perhaps the most important turning point was the 2006 establishment of the National Talent Support Council by 13 civil organi - sations contributing to talent development from different aspects. The Council led by Professor Péter Csermely currently represents the 29 most prominent Hungarian talent support organisations, exerting influence on Hungarian education policy, too. Among its long-term priorities we find also the publi - cation of a book series on Hungarian good practices, as well as on international talent support initiatives and good practices, in both Hungarian and English. The Council intends to promote increasing cooperation between the Hungarian talent development initiatives and foreign partners, focusing especially on the strengthening of relations within the EU and the Carpathian Basin, supporting talent development initiatives proposed by Hungarians living within and beyond the borders. The possibility to implement these objectives has opened in the framework of the Hungarian Genius Integrated Talent Support Programme launched in 2009 by the Association of Hungarian Talent Support Organisations, established by the Council, and financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). The present volume summarises the results of the Foreign Relations Research Team founded within the framework of the Hungarian Genius Programme at the beginning of 2010, made up of university lecturers, teachers, and other experts involved in practical talent support.

János Gordon Győri (ed.): International Horizons of Talent Support, I. (Géniusz könyvek 18.) Magyar Tehetségsegítő Szervezetek Szövetsége, 2011. (241 oldal)

Contents:

Foreword 13
Best practice in Austrian talent support: model and practice of the Platon Jugendforum 17
Introduction 17
1.1 Austria: Its present 17
1.2 The Austrian school system 18
1.3 Talent support in Austria: General features 20
The Platon Jugendforum talent support programme 27
2.1 Function and relevance of the talent support programme; methodological features of the research 27
2.2 Details of the talent support programme 29
Criticism and lessons of the programme; possible introduction in Hungary? 45
3.1 Criticism and lessons of the programme 45
3.2 Possible implementation and necessity in Hungary? 46
- Bibliography 50
II Pillars of talent support in Finland: The Päivölä School Mathematics Programme 51
Introduction 51
1.1 Society and economy of Finland 51
1.2 Finnish educational policy in the early 21st century: Results and general characteristics 52
1.3 Forms and institutional background of talent support 56
The mathematics programme of the Päivölä School 58
2.1 Genesis of the programme; methodological features of the research 58
2.2 Cooperating partners of the school 59
2.3 Characteristics of the best practice of the school 62
Summary 69
- Bibliography 72
III Talent support in Germany based on a talent development model 73
Introduction 73
1.1 The German society at present 73
1.2 The German education system and its general characteristics 77
The talent development programme of Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft 82
2.1 The role and importance of a talent development programme; research methodology 82
2.2 Detailed description of the talent support programme 84
Opportunities and conditions for the application of the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft talent support programme in Hungary 90
- Bibliography 94
IV Talent development traditions and new endeavours in Great Britain in the 21st century 97
Introduction 97
1.1 Social and economic characteristics, and the political structure of Great Britain at the turn of the millennium 97
1.2 Traditions and characteristics of British education at the beginning of the 21st century 100
1.3 Talent development in the United Kingdom 104
NACE talent development guidelines and practice 107
2.1 The origin of the programme; research methodology 107
2.2 Good practice: Challenge Award 110
2.3 The lesson of the programme: Talent development and inclusion 115
- Bibliography 118
Centres for talent development is Israel 121
Introduction 121
1.1 The State of Israel 121
1.2 General features of education in the country 122
1.3 General features of the talent development in the country 124
Pull-out centres in Israeli talent development 129
2.1 Pull-out talent development 129
2.2 The Karmiel Centre for Gifted Students 131
Summary 138
- Bibliography 142
VI Talent support in Southwest Asia: The Singapore example 145
Introduction 145
1.1 Singapore 145
1.2 General features of the education policy of the country 147
1.3 General characteristics of talent development support in the country 149
The programme 153
2.1 A new educational institution in Singapore for the mathematically gifted 153
Summary 159
- Bibliography 163
VII Programmes of talent identification and talent management in Slovenia 165
Introduction 165
1.1 The society and economy of Slovenia 165
1.2 Guidelines of education-policy in our days 166
Nationalwide identification of talents and talent support in Slovenian primary and secondary schools 169
2.1 The birth of the programme; the methodological features of the research 169
2.2 The structure and practical implementation of the Primary School Concept 170
2.3 Embedding talent support in education 171
2.4 Promotional feedback 172
2.5 Systematic development: roll-out of talent identification and support to secondary schools 173
2.6 Training forms in secondary-school talent support 175
2.7 Financing the programme 175
2.8 Institutions and actors responsible for the implementation and operation of the Primary and Secondary School Concepts 176
2.9 Major results and priorities of the programme so far 177
2.10 The Brestanica project 177
Summary 180
- Bibliography 183
VIII Links between Spanish public education and gifted education: Example of the ESTELMAT Programme 185
Introduction 185
1.1 The cultural history of Spain 185
1.2 Economic bases, European integration 186
1.3 Structure of the Spanish education system 188
1.4 New perspectives in talent development 191
The ESTALMAT programme 193
2.1 Inception of the programme and the circumstances of its creation 193
2.2 Commencement of the programme 194
2.3 Funding of the programme; role of the corporate sector 195
2.4 National roll-out of the programme 196
2.5 The design of ESTALMAT 198
2.6 Impact of the programme on the development of Spanish mathematical life 201
Summary 202
- Bibliography 205
IX Programmes of the Boston Center for Technological Literacy 207
Introduction 207
1.1 The society and economy of the United States 207
1.2 General features of education in the United States 208
1.3 General features of talent development in the country 210
The programme 212
2.1 National Center for Technological Literacy 212
2.2 The part played by Miaoulis; background of educational policy 212
2.3 Research methodology 213
2.4 Why is it worth getting to know the work of the NCTL? 214
2.5 General introduction to the operation of the NCTL 215
2.6 Description of the projects 215
Summary: the most important lessons, the necessity and chances of implementation in Hungary 223
- Bibliography 226
New trends in talent support: Lessons in good practice from nine countries 229
Systems and methods 230
Levels of the talent support systems 230
National system of education and talent support; the issues of equality, equity and the search for balance 231
Talent support as the critique, developer and renewer of established social and educational relations 233
Talent support as a national defence resource 233
What is a real talent support method? 234
Search for equilibrium in the identification and development of talented/gifted children 235
Exact and non-exact components of talent support 235
Talent support methods; links between talent support in secondary and in higher eduction 236
Integration and segregation in gifted education 237
Acceleration: the link between talent support in secondary and tertiary education 238
New trends in non-academic talent support 238
Parent involvement in talent support 239
Development of talent development 240
- Bibliography 242

Talent is a special kind of natural resource that is available in every country.