Gifted education only receives about 10% of the funding as education for MR/DD folks. It is good to educate people who have mental difficulties, but I believe it is even more important to provide *lavish* resources and opportunities for those who are going to make great improvements in society. There should never again be a situation in America where an Antonio Meucci cannot afford the price to pay for a patent (it was he who invented the telephone, not Bell), and all gifted children should be fully funded in their education by the government. And I mean *fully*, so they can use their imagination and innovation to make the contributions we so desperately need out of them.

Yes, there should be funding for vocational and technical schools. These occupations are important. But never should this come at the expense of getting the most out of the most academically gifted. There are no Nobel prizes for fixing the brakes on a car or even rebuilding an engine.

Standardized tests that measure ability and intelligence should be used to identify those who are likely to make a big difference. These tests should be free, and people should be allowed to take them multiple times in case they misperform on an occasion or two. Only the highest score should count.

Those who can demonstrate an aptitude at the Mensa level (top 2%) should be eligible for their own specialized 1:1 tutors who are experts in areas that interest them. This should happen as early as practicable in the child’s life, and can happen over the Internet.

How about a new federal program to make all of this happen? It could be called the American Innovation in Education Act (AIEA).

The UN should also take action to help create such programs in all countries around the world. Intelligence doesn’t just occur in the USA.

Testing should not be abolished – it can be used to pick up on children falling behind in their studies/skills. This is supposed to be picked up by teachers and worked on to improve the performance and give the child extra help and encouragement to become part of a competitive group. In turn this sees them compete with peers in further education and in jobs. Children may be put on the wrong course, just so it is suitable for the school and convenient for society. The child will hate to follow this and, perhaps fail in their exams as a result – or as an act of defiance. Kids should be allowed to develop – did you know you wanted to be an IT manager when you were 12? Would you have wanted to become a fashion designer if you had been put onto a course for woodworking or mechanics as this was the focus of the high school or college? What you mentioned was taking away freedom of choice by the child. I do agree they need a trade, but they also need development – maybe in ways that it would indicate their own special talents and abilities. Overall, tests are a good thing, if they are used in the way that it encourages kids to better themselves. Bright kids can be encouraged to stay on at school or go to college to become leaders of their own generation when graduating and becoming employed.