Abstract:
Always regarded as somewhat of an ‘outsider’ (the child of an Englishspeaking (Catholic)
mother and an Afrikaans (Protestant) father in an exclusively Afrikaans milieu) and growing
up extremely poor, seeing the hardship of others and realising howmuch talentwas going to
waste, Kobus Maree took a particular interest in gifted disadvantaged persons. A marginalised
loner, he almost inevitably developed creative abilities and took a keen interest in
creativity, giftedness and the education of gifted, disadvantaged learners. As an adult, his
research showed that many teachers in South Africa have to contend with the generally
poor socioeconomic background of learners. A dire need for appropriate teacher and
learner support materials, and school environments that are not conducive to achievement
(including inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, lack of teacher and learner support
materials). SouthAfrica is at a critical stage in its education. It is therefore important for
educators to teach emotional intelligence in their classrooms. Our biggest challenge will be
tomaintain and enhance vitality in gifted education in a dynamic, ever-evolving environment.
A combination of scholarly leadership and strategic management to support gifted learners
is important. We should do all we can to promote societal transformation and diversity,
focussing anew on underrepresented groups (women and ethnic groups) who show
promise and support them. The widest array of partners possible including the big institutional
players, the entire teaching fraternity (including government departments), nongovernmental
organisations and miscellaneous interest groups together should develop
strategic, rolling five-year plans and make gifted education a priority.
