Gifted but underachieving: Australian indigenous children

Abstract

The under-representation of children from cultural minority and/or low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds in programmes for the gifted in Australia is emerging as an issue of national concern(Braggett 1985; Chaffey 2002; Taylor 1998). Indigenous Australians constitute the most under-represented group of all. Conflicting definitions and terms used in gifted education as well as the absence of effective identification methods are key factors implicated in this under-representation. Coolabah Dynamic Assessment (CDA) (Chaffey 2002) is a promising identification tool for children from cultural minority and/or low SES backgrounds which has created the need for an appropriate provision model to cater for those identified.