Introduction

Long gone are the days when intelligence was judged solely on the basis of academic performance and/or qualifications. Gifts and talents, the expressions of our natural abilities, are the indicators of each individual’s intelligence and it is through these elements that each person’s intelligence should be assessed. Unfortunately, education systems do not always place the emphasis on gifts and talents – which are natural predispositions – and this state of affairs does not facilitate the adaptation and integration of all learners. Especially since school systems tend to favour certain forms of intelligence to the detriment of others. Yet each person is born with his or her own unique aptitudes, and it is on the basis of these aptitudes that the intelligence of each learner should be judged. 

Forms of Intelligence

Remember that forms of intelligence are specific to individuals and cannot be the same from one person to another. There are at least eight forms of intelligence: linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence and naturalist intelligence. How can we understand that an education system that only trains people with linguistic intelligence and logical-mathematical intelligence can have the same assessment criteria for all learners, without taking into account those whose talents are more related to naturalist intelligence? Is it possible that these learners who perform poorly at school are the result of inappropriate learning? Are the best pupils really the most intelligent? This raises the issue of educational guidance and talent identification, and calls into question the notion of intelligence, seen solely through the prism of academic performance.

Involving Parents in the Education Process

Since education is a chain, each link in the chain should be involved in the holistic support of children so that their full potential is revealed, and school is no longer a place where knowledge is imposed and suffered. From now on, it’s up to parents to discover what their children like to do, enjoy doing, know how to do and do with passion and enthusiasm. It’s also up to them to follow and support their children in this direction, even if the education system doesn’t allow it. While it is true that a single individual can have several forms of intelligence, it is necessary for parents to help their children to bring out their different talents.

Conclusion

In a world where life skills and know-how are tending to take precedence over knowledge, it is vital that everything possible is done to ensure that everyone can express themselves and demonstrate the talents and gifts they have been given by providence, first as learners and later in their working lives, so that work is not a place of frustration, but rather a place of expression and fulfilment for optimum performance.   

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