Cambridge academic Dr Clementine Beauvais questions the very notion of ‘gifted’ children:
Everybody loves stories about gifted children. Whether it’s Mozart composing beautiful tunes at the tender age of 5, or maths superstar Ruth Lawrence getting into Oxford at just 11, there’s something irresistible about the idea that freakishly talented kids can walk among us.
But Dr Clementine Beauvais isn’t so sure that ‘giftedness’ can be measured at all. Because it seems that behind every supremely able child, there’s usually a rather pushy parent.