Are gifted and talented programs harmful for students?

Are gifted programs harmful to students? Many people believe that schools should bring students with different academic levels together so they can all succeed and lessen inequality. Not only could it be a problem for the kids outside of the program but it can also be harmful for the ones in it. Yes, they may feel a sense of pride knowing they are put above the rest but most are not healthy and happy. Their parents expectations can be harmful especially at a young age. If their child is labeled as “gifted” they may put stress on them, possibly leading to the child to stop trying. Knowing what students are gifted and which ones are not is also a problem. Students who are not considered gifted can get put in the program when they are not actually fit for it. And vise versa, some children who should be put in the programs may not be put in. This may be because of the flawed identification process or because of how wealthy they are. Parents with less money cannot afford these programs.

There is some pros about these classes. Lots of people believe they are beneficial. It is a fact that students in these programs have higher achievements than the students in the regular classes. They also go onto higher levels of degrees. Even though they are also successful there are also many people who are just as successful who were not in those programs. They also get to face challenges in these programs when they wouldn’t in the normal classes.  They are given work to go with their academic level. They have more potential in these programs.

People have mixed opinions on this subject. Each side is valid. All kids can be successful no matter if they are considered gifted or not.