Why should parents advocate for Gifted Education?
Inclusion forms an essential part of high-quality education, and diversity should be embraced in our society. The leaders of the UAE have recognised that promoting equity within education has global significance and would lead to an improved and sustainable future. Parental rights, responsibilities, and perspectives regarding inclusion have been clearly explained in Advocating for Inclusive Education: A Guide for Parents (KHDA, 2021).
Parents and educators are equally accountable for ensuring that each child receives rightful access to engaging learning at school based on high expectations and meaningful participation alongside their peers. When parents understand what equity within education entails, they will feel empowered to actively campaign for appropriate provision and services for their child with gifts and talents by every school.
The last decade has witnessed tremendous growth in the field of Special Education and set an encouraging precedent in the local scenario. Parents need to demand and support similar growth in the domain of Gifted Education. It is imperative that parents know the details of each standard of Gifted Education to enable them to advocate for appropriate and meaningful learning for their deserving child. The right pathway is to follow the Gifted Education Programming Standards for K-12 by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC 2019), which are comprehensive and can be easily adapted to suit the UAE situation.
About the Author
Dr Neha Sharma
Head of Quest (Inclusion) and Student Achievement, Senior Leader, Dwight School Dubai
Dr Sharma has been living in the UAE for 25 years and has witnessed inclusion evolve tremendously during this period. Before joining Dwight School, she has previously held the senior leadership position as Head of Inclusion at an International IB Curriculum School and the position of Head of Inclusion at one of the most prestigious government schools following the UK curriculum in Dubai.
Dr Sharma graduated from the University of Bombay with a B.E (hons) in Engineering before obtaining a Masters in Inclusive and Special Education from the University of Birmingham (British University in Dubai campus). This unusual journey was inspired by her daughter, a person of determination. Following her passion for inclusion, she will be completing her PhD in Gifted Education from British University in Dubai soon. Her passion includes setting up an exemplary Gifted Education Program at Dwight School.
Dr Sharma was rated as an ‘Exceptional’ Head of Inclusion by KHDA during their inspections in 2018. Under her leadership, the inclusion department won the 2nd best SEND team in the UAE award by Education Journal Middle East Awards in 2017. She is the recipient of the prestigious Prof. Indira Parikh Award for Women in Education Leaders organized by the World Education Congress in India in 2018. Dr Sharma presented her research proposal at the UAE Graduate Students Research Conference in 2019. She has also completed the CPT3A qualification and is a licensed assessor with the British Psychological Society
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