Expert recommends specialised programmes for gifted children By Ha Trang-Xuan Ngoc | dtinews.vn  The former minister of Education and Training, Tran Hong Quan, said in an interview with DanTri that there should be a separate education programme for gifted children. Recently, a child in Bac Ninh Province showed extraordinary ability in memorisation and certain kinds of calculations. Four-year-old Pham Tuan Minh can quickly convert a date in solar calendar into a date in lunar calendar. Minh's mother said the boy is a fast learner and has a penchant for memorising phone numbers.    (left to right) Tran Hong Quan and child prodigy Pham Tuan Minh What do you think about the case of Pham Tuan Minh and what sort of programme would be available to him in other countries? This is one of the special cases. It is whenever there are child who shows special talent in logic or art. I know a child who is really bad at mathematics but can draw extremely well. Other countries in the world have appraisal boards to recognise such talent and support its growth. Does Vietnam have any regulations related to child prodigies? If not, do you think we should establish a special education centre for such students? As far as I know, Vietnam doesn't have specific regulations related to children with special talents. However, talent also differs from person to person, so I don't think we need a one uniform rule for all. We need a variety of approaches and a board of experts that can propose effective education programmes. There are a number of people who said we should let such child prodigies skip school levels, what is your opinion? Well, each prodigy has different talents so they need specialised education programmes. Grade skipping sometimes does more harm than good because the child may be good at one specific subject while he or she may require more all-round education. Not only do the children need their childhood, they also need knowledge in a broad range of subjects before they face real life. Many experts have pointed out that even though it is difficult to find gifted children, it is another challenge to put their talents to use. What is your opinion? Children with high IQs have always been given special care. We have a school system for children that show outstanding academic skills, but we don't have programmes to support children with special talents in other fields. Fostering talents is a difficult task. It needs the cooperation of schools, families and society. Parents of child prodigies don't want their children to be approached by the media because they fear negative impacts from public opinion. What's your assessment? The parents are right. Excessive attention from the media may badly affect the development. In some cases, mothers often think about their children as prodigies though reality is different. Parents should consult with experts for assessment. If child prodigies are discovered, we should respect their childhood instead of blowing things out of proportion. Society must cherish and appreciate children.