TALENT SEARCH – MYTHS AND REALITIES

Down the memory lane, I look back to the early seventies, when as a teacher of Sciences, how we used to look for the Talent search examinations held annually as a platform for doing things differently and helping students to identify new and interesting project works with an open mind.  The objective of the National level organizations was to identify talents and nurture them. To support the idea, the successful candidates were financially supported to pursue their higher studies in their chosen areas.

Over the year, one witnessed a number of such examinations on the floor by private agencies with singular motive of rolling down a couple of lakhs over an examination held for half-a-day and issuing a certificate to each of the participants as a reward. I presume some of them still exist in one form or the other.

There are two majoy issues in Talent search:

1. Are the tools for assessment valid and reliable to identify specific talent? Do some of these IQ tests really reveal the latent talent in the candidates?  What relevance the performance in a general test has with any  specific talent in the learner which is not covered through any of the questions enlisted in the test?  Or do all the candidates who are selected through these examinations have necessarily talents or is it their ability to handle a certain type of examination?

2. What do we do with those talents identified? Is a financial support the only way to nurture the talent? Does it in anyway achieve this target? What is the follow up of these talented persons? Is the curiosity in them mentored or monitored? What percentage of such persons really engage in any activity related to the fied for which they have been subsidized?

In the absence of justifiable answers, some of these activities which we have been doing for decades need a correction.  The gap between the myths and realities need to be bridged.

I am aware of a number of Talent Search Scholars being engaged in entirely different profession. The argument that one need not look at Talent search as preparation for a profession has also certain validity. Right!  But if the talents do not express or contribute, we miss something valuable!

Talent search examinations need to be more focused and targeted. The proceses of nurtuing the talents need to be well defined and enriched. A set of mentors should be available to empower these candidates and not just to have a discussion with them once or twice an year or to evaluate a project done by them and opine.

Talent search is a great idea – be it at the institutional level or organizational level. “Celebrating” Talent is a pleasure. Nurturing Talent needs effort!