Belgian boy Laurent Simons heads off to university aged 8.

[BrianHG]

What in the world?  Holly cow...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44668452

[chris_leyson]

I liked the comment from his dad, "If he decided tomorrow to become a carpenter, that would not be a problem for us, as long as he is happy," his father said. 

[ataradov]

I don't get this. I can understand that school is easier for some people than the others. But why not actually go along with everyone.

So he goes into the uni at 8, gets masters at 14. What's next? He will not be able to find employment for a few more years.

I fear that this is his parents pushing him to do this stuff, and that scares me.

Education must progress with age and personal development, IMO. If school is easy - take up some hobbies, relax a bit. Is he in a rush to get somewhere?

[Mr. Scram]

I don't get this. I can understand that school is easier for some people than the others. But why not actually go along with everyone.

So he goes into the uni at 8, gets masters at 14. What's next? He will not be able to find employment for a few more years.

I fear that this is his parents pushing him to do this stuff, and that scares me.

Education must progress with age and personal development, IMO. If school is easy - take up some hobbies, relax a bit. Is he in a rush to get somewhere?

I'd argue the reverse. There is a tendency to slow down sharp minds for the sake of the rest of the group, leading them to get bored, act up or even completely give up on academics. I think there's a focus on children lagging behind, but children ahead of the game are too often left to fend for themselves. Just because they're smart doesn't mean they understand how they tick or what their needs are yet and that can really bite.

[ataradov]

There is a tendency to slow down sharp minds for the sake of the rest of the group

But that's why there are schools or classes for "smarter" kids that have in-depth study of a specific subject/subjects.

I have no problems with kids of any age passing math and physics, since those things are based on facts. I too studied physics ahead of everyone else just as summer reading. I still went though classes and did the homework, it just took me 10 minutes to complete. Not a big deal.

But I really don't understand how one can pass subjects of a softer nature, like literature. In many cases you need to write essays on subjects that can not be reasonably understood by an 8 year old, however advanced he is (themes of love, treason, moral dilemma, etc). For some thing you need to live and experience life. It is possible that nobody writes essays anymore and it is all standardized tests, but then I don't know if it counts for anything.

[Mr. Scram]

But that's why there are schools or classes for "smarter" kids that have in-depth study of a specific subject/subjects.

I have no problems with kids of any age passing math and physics, since those things are based on facts. I too studied physics ahead of everyone else just as summer reading. I still went though classes and did the homework, it just took me 10 minutes to complete. Not a big deal.

But I really don't understand how one can pass subjects of a softer nature, like literature. In many cases you need to write essays on subjects that can not be reasonably understood by an 8 year old, however advanced he is (themes of love, treason, moral dilemma, etc). For some thing you need to live and experience life. It is possible that nobody writes essays anymore and it is all standardized tests, but then I don't know if it counts for anything.

Advanced groups aren't always available or not advanced enough. Regardless, this doesn't seem to be a typical 8 year old. Development obviously isn't normal.

[IanMacdonald]

40 years on....

[BrianHG]

I don't get this. I can understand that school is easier for some people than the others. But why not actually go along with everyone.

So he goes into the uni at 8, gets masters at 14. What's next? He will not be able to find employment for a few more years.

I fear that this is his parents pushing him to do this stuff, and that scares me.

Education must progress with age and personal development, IMO. If school is easy - take up some hobbies, relax a bit. Is he in a rush to get somewhere?

It's thanks in part to this type of philosophy and no one available to me with advanced understanding in advanced maths that the age when I happen to be advanced enough and open to learning such things, and I was begging to learn more about advance trigonometry and calculus, came and went.  Once in college, I already lost the patients and ability to absorb the subject matter properly.  It was just too late.  Think of it like an adult trying to learn a foreign, but, similar language which you don't really have any reason to learn.

And yes, I was behind in literature, history and geography because to me it sucked.  It was known that my math and science skills were way above normal in grade school, considered entry college level.  These subjects just didn't matter enough or have any future critical value to my parents.  Once high-school came, I was already bored with the subject and I eventually was left behind because I no longer cared and just refused to do any math anymore.

For some, there's just a small window of time where a valuable advanced subject or skill can be taught and mastered, after which, we can get stuck in our ways and something once enjoyed when young has needlessly become another daily annoyance.

[IanMacdonald]

Had a similar school experience, one teacher in particular made me keep repeating very basic arithmetic ad nauseam. Think it led to my general dislike of maths as a subject. Part of the problem is that many teachers don't actually understand the subject anyway, they just parrot the textbook at the students. Any student who asks awkward questions (that show up the teacher's own incompetence) is in for a world of pain.

[Kjelt]

But I really don't understand how one can pass subjects of a softer nature, like literature. In many cases you need to write essays on subjects that can not be reasonably understood by an 8 year old, however advanced he is (themes of love, treason, moral dilemma, etc). For some thing you need to live and experience life. It is possible that nobody writes essays anymore and it is all standardized tests, but then I don't know if it counts for anything.

Indeed and he will experience those later on in life and not reading about it or hearing it from a subjective teacher but on his own. But why would you have to wait if he is ready now to absorb scientific education and can achieve great things in math and physics.
Hundreds of years ago there was the master pupil system, children did where they were interested in and had talent for. They did not do literature or foreign languages just what was needed for that craft. It gave us Mozart, Rembrandt but also the top physicist that found the first laws of nature etc. Etc.

[ataradov]

I'm not saying that I liked soft stuff either, I hated it. But I'm not sure if not teaching it is a good idea, I really don't have enough information to pass that judgement.

[NiHaoMike]

I'd argue the reverse. There is a tendency to slow down sharp minds for the sake of the rest of the group, leading them to get bored, act up or even completely give up on academics. I think there's a focus on children lagging behind, but children ahead of the game are too often left to fend for themselves. Just because they're smart doesn't mean they understand how they tick or what their needs are yet and that can really bite.

I found many of the university classes "slow", especially the ones about power electronics.

Had a similar school experience, one teacher in particular made me keep repeating very basic arithmetic ad nauseam. Think it led to my general dislike of maths as a subject. Part of the problem is that many teachers don't actually understand the subject anyway, they just parrot the textbook at the students. Any student who asks awkward questions (that show up the teacher's own incompetence) is in for a world of pain.

I never really liked math for a long time, then cryptocurrency came along...

[ataradov]

They did not do literature or foreign languages just what was needed for that craft. It gave us Mozart, Rembrandt but also the top physicist that found the first laws of nature etc. Etc.

And then when in 5-10 years he burns out, there will be no fallback option.

We can't expect schools to only produce Mozarts, and leaving everyone who is not genius behind smells of eugenics.

[Kjelt]

With all the new and total amount of knowledge can we still have a "homo universalis" as Davinci was in the Renaissance? I don't think so, at least not in depth, too much for one person.
 The reason I am for a broad education is to let students experience those skills/sciences/languages and find out what they are good in or really like. But should that take 6 years?
Around me I hear more and more graduates from secondary school that have no clue what to study next or which job they like.

[Kjelt]

They did not do literature or foreign languages just what was needed for that craft. It gave us Mozart, Rembrandt but also the top physicist that found the first laws of nature etc. Etc.

And then when in 5-10 years he burns out, there will be no fallback option.

We can't expect schools to only produce Mozarts, and leaving everyone who is not genius behind smells of eugenics.

Why would he burn out when he does what he loves and has an interest in. Read the article again, AFAICT it is not his parents that do this, they don't care as long as he is happy. Belgian is not like Korea where parents force their children to skip play and just study resulting in staggering number of teen suicides.

[ataradov]

Why would he burn out when he does what he loves and has an interest in.

Because interests change. Many people burn out even if they do what they like.

they don't care as long as he is happy

Let's hope so.

[BrianHG]

And then when in 5-10 years he burns out, there will be no fallback option.

Yes, burn out is a real issue, but, now we know better and with the proper balance and attitude, it can be avoided.
On the other side, parents who super push their super young child prodigies talents, like those you violinist/pianists, purely for immediate fame and profit will almost certainly create a guaranteed burn-out situation.

[Kjelt]

No problem he is 8 where normal kids would have been 18 so he already won 10 years not sitting in school benches, enough time to pursue other interests 

[Mr. Scram]

And then when in 5-10 years he burns out, there will be no fallback option.

We can't expect schools to only produce Mozarts, and leaving everyone who is not genius behind smells of eugenics.

Better than burning out now due to lacking the challenge he desires. Slowing down children who don't need it can be very damaging. As has been described in this thread, being forced to pursue something at a gratingly menial pace is a great way of taking all the fun out of subjects

[BrianHG]

The reason I am for a broad education is to let students experience those skills/sciences/languages and find out what they are good in or really like. But should that take 6 years?
Around me I hear more and more graduates from secondary school that have no clue what to study next or which job they like.

This is an interesting point.  I grew up wanting to know how thing worked and was pretty much assured to head into electronics.  At the time in the 70s in Montreal, electronics and computers wasn't seen as a profitable endevour.  My parents thought electrician, crap.  Become a doctor or lawyer.  (I sort of wish being born and living in or close to Silicon Valley, this attitude would have not existed there...)  It took until the late 80s and 90s before they can accept that there was some value to consumer electronics and home computers and that there is money to be made there.

[BrianHG]

No problem he is 8 where normal kids would have been 18 so he already won 10 years not sitting in school benches, enough time to pursue other interests 

It doesn't matter how smart you are, if you don't use it, especially as our minds mature in shape, size and function from that young age, you will loose it.  Though he is so far ahead, he must continue to functionally use his knowledge and expand his abilities almost every day.  And he needs to further expand his abilities, because once something gets too boring to care about, there is little chance the same degree of interest will come back later-on in life.

[Brumby]

I fear that this is his parents pushing him to do this stuff, and that scares me.

Do you really think parental pushing is enough to get an 8 year-old to university level?  Sorry, I just can't see that.  The kid has to have some innate ability.

I sometimes wish my parents had been a little more encouraging.  When I was in primary school, there were 3 kids in my year that were offered placements in what was called an "opportunity class".  I was one of them.  My parents left the decision to me - without making any real effort to encourage or explain the benefits.  As a pre-teen kid who lived 4 doors from the school, the opportunity class, being a few suburbs distant, seemed so very far away.  The distance was uncomfortable and the travel felt scary.  As a result, I chose to feel safe and passed it up.  I sometimes wonder what may have come if I had chosen otherwise.

[ataradov]

I was thinking about this a bit, and a thought crossed my mind, for which I want to hear some opinions from people from different countries.

How is it even possible to finish school in 1.5 years? I don't think such thing is possible in Russia (where I grew up). None of the examination systems are  set up to take exams for multiple years.

How does it even work? Do you need to just pass some combined exam, or exams designed to be passed year after year? Who takes the exam? In many places examination commissions are assembled only during the exam time. Somebody had to get paid for conducting the exam.

I would really like to hear the mechanics of this. Did he start in a first grade and then jumped one up every month?

How does it work in your country?

Edit: We also had to pass PE, for example. Did he actually do the PE on same level as 18 year old kids? IQ won't help you jump high

[Halcyon]

I don't get this. I can understand that school is easier for some people than the others. But why not actually go along with everyone.

So he goes into the uni at 8, gets masters at 14. What's next? He will not be able to find employment for a few more years.

I fear that this is his parents pushing him to do this stuff, and that scares me.

Education must progress with age and personal development, IMO. If school is easy - take up some hobbies, relax a bit. Is he in a rush to get somewhere?

I'd argue the reverse. There is a tendency to slow down sharp minds for the sake of the rest of the group, leading them to get bored, act up or even completely give up on academics. I think there's a focus on children lagging behind, but children ahead of the game are too often left to fend for themselves. Just because they're smart doesn't mean they understand how they tick or what their needs are yet and that can really bite.

I actually agree with both of you. I think it's important there is a balance. I was bored at school and skipped a year myself, but I stuck it out until Year 10 (instead of going all the way through to year 12), but I went straight into a full time job (which I had since age 14).

Nevertheless, school taught me some really important life and social skills. I still socialise with the same group of friends from high school (some even from primary school) to this day. Sure we were a bunch of nerds so when we got together, it was usually for LAN parties (I have fond memories of spending an hour or two trying to get the damn 10BASE2 network going because the terminators were dodgy), but we also did "normal" teenager things like play with fireworks etc...

Social and interpersonal skills are just as important as textbook knowledge and problem solving.

[Marco]

I'd argue the reverse. There is a tendency to slow down sharp minds for the sake of the rest of the group

Not for the sake of the group, for the sake of cost and for being able to manage with poor teachers. I assume this kid was homeschooled.