Category: Education

Intelligence is hard to define. The classic idea about such things was that, though they were hard to define they could be recognized when encountered. Unfortunately, this does not work well. Many people think they are intelligent because they are not intelligent enough to know otherwise. By contrast, many intelligent people tend to underestimate their abilities. It would be nice to have a perfect definition of intelligence, or an effective way to assess it. Till them we have to do what seems best for each individual.

One of the clichés found in the testimonies of intelligent individuals is being bored with routine learning. Many bright people initially did poorly in school because they simply tuned out mindless tasks. Occasionally this was recognized; more often it was mistaken for a lack of potential and the child made no progress. An adult forced to do infant school lessons might understand the bright child’s frustration. Both the adult and bright child will do far better with more advanced material. Finding the bright child in this situation is a little tricky.

There have been many classes over the years, over many generations, that separate the smarter kids from the less capable ones. There is something to be said for this; the children in the top class can receive lessons appropriate to their level of understanding. The only problem is that the top class does not contain all the bright children. Some bright children are not recognized, and receive an inappropriate education that simply leaves them bored and uninspired. The waste of potential here is terrible. The child will also tend to be rather miserable.

Selective School Ryde
Of course selective schools are designed for the more capable students. But first the student has to do well on the entrance test in order to be accepted into the school. This is a problem for a few students with potential who find the conventional education system lacking. These students have the latent ability, but sometime lack some of the knowledge needed to apply or express it. Private Tutorage can bridge the gap here. A different approach to the same material can make all the difference to some individuals. At other times clearing a misconception or providing some missing material might allow a child to make sense of a previously misunderstood subject. It is terrible for a student with potential to miss out be held back by an inappropriate education.

If you feel your child shows ability that is not reflected in their school grades it might be a good idea to look at extra tutorage. Getting your child into an opportunity class or selective school could well change their life. Their potential should not go to waste.

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Selective schools test to find the most capable young students. There are many arguments for and against this. Some arguments question whether or not the more capable student should be put together; some question the selection method.

One criticism leveled at selective schools is that the individual students suffer cultural shock when they realize they are no longer the smartest kid in the class. This is undoubtedly a huge adjustment, but it’s a necessary and humbling one; and something better learnt sooner than later. If a child realizes that there are minds smarter than theirs, as well as minds less capable, then they are getting a realistic perspective. It would be far worse for the student to have delusions and overestimate their ability. This criticism confuses self-esteem with superiority. A child and well-adjusted adult needs to feel valued for being a fellow human being, for achieving goals; not for competitiveness and trying to outdo others. Selective schools are beneficial this way; the child knows there are others at the same level as him/herself, and that this is perfectly acceptable.

A more valid criticism is that the selective criteria for these schools are poor; that the tests cater to coaching and rote learning. While this is true it must be remembered that it is quite difficult to have a completely impartial test. It must also be remembered that rote learning is part of the practical world, and being prepared for exams (coaching) is also a reflection of real world situations. Tests are not just about intelligence, they are about motivation, time management, preparation, and the notion that some things are true even if they defy analytical thinking. If a child can prepare itself to do better, then it deserves some support.

A variant criticism of the test criteria is that the children can be coached to do well. This is partly valid, as coaching is a considerable help for many children. But this is only bringing a child to its potential. If the coached children did well in the entrance test only to fail at the school we would have cause for concern. There is no evidence of this. Academic coaching is like sports coaching in this regard; get the best possible performance from an individual in a specific pursuit.

The book of Acts follows the story of the apostles after Jesus has finished His earthly ministry; Acts is a loose sequel to the Gospel of Luke. And in the 4^th and 5^th verses of Acts Jesus tells the disciples to stay in Jerusalem to await the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This is not the first mention of this- The old testament promised the ‘Spirit of God’; Jesus spoke on several occasions of the Holy Spirit and its part in future ministry; And John the Baptist, who Jesus often refers to when talking of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, also refers to being Baptists in the holy Spirit and Fire [Matt 3:11, Luke 3:16].

John himself was filled with the Holy Spirit; this is mentioned in Luke 1:15. Whether this is the same as baptism in the Holy Spirit is unclear. What does seem significant is that the spirit only ever seemed to be on one person at a time at this stage in history. Elijah (to whom John is often compared) had the spirit much earlier in history; Simeon had heard from the spirit while Christ was an infant [Luke 2:25]. But the moment Jesus’s ministry began John’s ministry was superseded. Christ had the Holy Spirit descend on Him like a dove shortly after John baptised Him [Matt 3:16, john 1:32]. John and his ministry moved into the background after this point.

Many time Jesus talked about His later departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit; these two events are linked, for Jesus claimed that if He did not go the Spirit would not come [John 16:7]. The Spirit is essential for the gospel ministry; it seems to exclusively work through Jesus during His time on earth, and possibly the same with John’s ministry. After Christ’s departure it came to many men and women, including several Gentiles. We seem to have either Jesus of the Holy Spirit.

But what was the Baptism of Fire? Some closely equate this with Pentecost and the flames over the people’s head; possibly it is simply an expression, spirit and fire. But others see this as an alternative for those who do not accept the Holy Spirit. Jesus say only those born of water and Spirit will see the kingdom of God; fire is not mentioned [John 3:5]. Fire may simply be the unimaginable wrath poured out on those who do not repent. This is uncertain, however; surly there will be wrath for the unrepentant, but we do not know whether baptism (immersion) in fire refers to this. The Bible say ‘Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Fire’, rather than ‘or fire’; the matter is uncertain.

Jesus often refers to His truth as ‘living water’ [John 4:14], or the ‘water of life’ [Rev 22:17], the divine answer to what all men thirst for.  How this water reconciles with fire is uncertain, but despite being available to all only the repentant will receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.