Masaryk University has launched a discussion on supporting talent

Masaryk University hosted the second edition of its ‘Meeting with Headteachers and Representatives of Secondary Schools’ in an expanded format. The theme of the meeting, which took place on 24 September at the Rector’s Office on Komenský Square, was the support of gifted students and approaches to providing such support.

“I am delighted that this year’s theme has struck a chord. It stems directly from our discussions with representatives of secondary schools, who considered it to be important. It is therefore a topic from headteachers for headteachers and careers advisers. I hope that today’s meeting will provide both tried-and-tested experiences and new ideas for further cooperation in the field of supporting talented pupils and students,” said Michal Bulant, Vice-Rector for Education and Quality at MU, in his opening remarks. Jana Fialová, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs at MU, also welcomed the participants.

The panel discussion, ‘It’s not enough to simply identify talent: how can we create an environment in which it can flourish?’, brought together the perspectives of schools, experts and organisations involved in supporting gifted children and students.

The full-day programme offered insights into the topic of gifted students and pupils from various perspectives and focused not only on identifying talent, but above all on creating the conditions that enable young people to develop their abilities. Opportunities for collaboration for prospective students, teachers and school management were presented by the individual faculties and specialist centres at Masaryk University, such as the Teiresiás Centre for the Support of Students with Special Needs, the Lifelong Learning Division and the Career Centre, which helps prospective students choose a field of study via the KAMPAK website.

“I am delighted that participants will take away inspiration, specific tips and practical advice from the meeting, which they will be able to put to use when working with talented pupils in their schools. I hope that sharing experiences and best practice will help identify what schools need to systematically support talent and encourage them to take further steps,” said Lucie Kusá from the Department of External Relations, Marketing and Communication, who is responsible for cooperation between the university and secondary schools. She added that the most important information Masaryk University offers to secondary schools is available on the ‘Cooperation with Schools’ website.

The event saw record attendance. Eighty registered representatives from secondary schools across nine regions of the Czech Republic travelled to Brno, confirming growing interest not only in the topic of supporting gifted students, but also in the event’s significance as a platform for sharing experiences across regions. The programme was also complemented by representatives from four secondary schools, who made active contributions to the meeting.

Supporting giftedness through the eyes of experts
The panel discussion ‘It’s not enough to simply identify talent: how can we create an environment in which it can flourish?’ brought together the perspectives of schools, experts and organisations involved in supporting gifted children and students. One of the main topics was the changing understanding of giftedness itself. “We now know that there is what is known as ‘dual exceptionality’ and that gifted children are not necessarily those who get straight A’s or win academic competitions. They may also be pupils who simultaneously struggle with learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders or hyperactivity. The spectrum of gifted children is much broader today,” said psychologist Šárka Portešová from the Institute for Psychological Research at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University. According to her, giftedness is increasingly understood as each child’s unique profile of abilities, and its long-term development is of paramount importance.

Alena Svanovská, Headteacher of Boskovice Grammar School, pointed out that schools today have a range of tools at their disposal to support talented pupils. “We are able to involve pupils in academic competitions and contests, draw up educational support plans, and some schools also run mentoring schemes. At the same time, we facilitate external opportunities, such as offers from universities or the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility, which we regularly pass on to pupils.” She identified greater support for gifted pupils directly within regular lessons, through differentiated teaching, as another important step.

Alena Hynková, the programme coordinator for initiatives supporting talented students at the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility (JCMM), highlighted the importance of regional cooperation. “In the South Moravian Region, we have succeeded in building a comprehensive ecosystem of activities for gifted pupils and students, ranging from nursery schools through primary and secondary schools to universities and research institutions. There are a number of programmes available that enable young people to further develop their talents,” she said. The system includes, for example, excursions to universities, research institutions and companies, which give students an insight into various fields of study.

Petra Matulová, head of the MU Bioskop scientific education centre, outlined the opportunities for connecting gifted pupils with the university environment. “I would like to mention the advantage that the South Moravian Region enjoys thanks to its dense network of universities, scientific institutions and organisations focused on the education of children, young people and adults. Thanks to this, pupils can gain access to scientific laboratories at a relatively early age and learn how research and science work in practice. The collaboration between the various organisations also works well,” she explained, adding that Bioskop’s courses take place in well-equipped laboratories and are led directly by scientists.

Petra Mrázová, the coordinator for gifted pupils at the Jana Blahoslav Ivančice Grammar School, emphasised that support for gifted pupils must also come from school management and be systematic in the long term. “It is important that support is provided by a teacher who is genuinely committed to this area, not one chosen by the headteacher. It is also important that this teacher has the opportunity for further training, because once they have attended several training sessions, they come up with further ideas on how to develop support for gifted pupils and the school as a whole.”

During the discussion, Šárka Portešová also presented, amongst other things, the comprehensive diagnostic system Invenio, which was developed at Masaryk University as a tool for identifying gifted children. “We wanted to create a rapid screening tool that would help schools identify gifted children at an early stage,” explained Portešová. Invenio uses a series of diagnostic games focusing on various areas of ability, such as logical thinking, mathematical reasoning, spatial awareness, memory and attention. “The system does not merely aim to measure IQ, but captures each child’s unique ability profile,” she added.

Development of the system began around ten years ago with the support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. “Creating the individual tests involves the work of experts, graphic designers and programmers. To ensure the system provides reliable results, we have to test it on hundreds of children,” explained Portešová. Invenio currently comprises around ten tests focusing on specific abilities of secondary school pupils, and its creators are preparing new tools, including a test focused on scientific reasoning. The aim is to expand its reach into secondary schools.

The role of schools in developing talent
The afternoon programme consisted of two parallel sessions. In the first, which was aimed at secondary school heads, Jakub Rybář, the representative of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for the popularisation of science and the promotion of talent, took the floor and emphasised the role of teachers. “The most wonderful thing about what you do is that you can very elegantly and permanently shape the destinies of young people, who alone constitute the future of this country. And on top of that, you represent secondary schools, which are the most important linchpin of our entire education system.”

He also pointed out that, within the broader system of support for gifted pupils currently being developed, the relationship between a particular school and its governing body plays a major role, and he outlined the activities that may be available to talented pupils. He also outlined a network of opportunities that can support gifted pupils outside regular lessons, ranging from university activities and science centres to academic competitions, contests and the Secondary School Research Programme. According to him, these represent important tools for developing talent and motivating young people to pursue further study and scientific work. The system is also set to include regional partners, who will coordinate and develop activities in individual regions over the long term.

The second session was aimed at careers and educational advisers. Representatives from the Jan Kepler Grammar School in Prague, the EKO Grammar School in Brno and the Jan Blahoslav Grammar School in Ivančice presented their approaches to identifying, supporting and developing gifted pupils. Participants shared specific practical experiences, examples of best practice and the challenges they face when working with gifted pupils. The subsequent discussion and workshop provided an opportunity to share experiences and inspire one another.