The thesis is dedicated to holistic analysis of the gifted education system in the Commonwealth of Australia. The education system of Australia is of particular interest because of its efficiency and high standard educational provisions. Advanced educational practices and professional educationalists enable children to develop their talents to their full potential. But the existing hindrances hampering progress in raising gifted children in Australia are not idiosyncratical. In pursuing educational support to children with various kinds of giftedness the Ukrainian pedagogics faces similar challenges. Successful solution to the challenges backed by the Australian experience is a vital necessity in the Ukrainian current educational policy, which defines the subject of the thesis. The essence of the term "giftedness", its forms and definition criteria are unveiled in the thesis, based on the study of historical, philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature. Analyzing academic and pedagogical publications and official documents, social, historical, organizational and pedagogic conditions for establishing and development of gifted education in Australia at the beginning of 21 century were defined, the Australian educational system development retrospective was reviewed, the particulars of the content and organization of educational process were shown, basic guidelines and programs for working with gifted children at different educational levels in various states and territories of the Commonwealth of Australia were described. Contemporary methods of organization of pedagogical training and in-service gifted training of teachers in the Commonwealth of Australia were analyzed. The methods and forms of education applied in the course of pedagogical training in Australia were defined; also the government programs for the educators of Australia which became an important stage in establishing a holistic national gifted education support system were described. The Australian experience of teacher in-service gifted training may serve as a guide for development of national and regional programs for enhancement of teacher training in Ukraine. Problems and achievements in the educational support of gifted children in Australia were identified and critically comprehended. Experiments conducted in the Commonwealth of Australia convincingly display how difficult it is to reform the system of education, to change the teachers' attitude to gifted, remove talent inhibiting hindrances. The most vital problems of gifted education in Ukraine were explored, and guidelines to solve them were presented. In the result of a comparative study it was ascertained that for proper reforming of the gifted and talented education system both in Ukraine and Australia it is necessary to undertake decisive actions on the part of the state, to change attitude of the elite, governing and business bodies towards education, towards personality of the teacher and the children. Implementation of various governmental and non-governmental projects will result in foundation of a new type of scientific and educational establishments, growing number of scientific discoveries, cultural and ethic achievements of the society, improvement of living standards, spiritual rebirth, enhancement of international political relations, independence and self-sufficiency of young geniuses, their creative initiative which will lead to acceleration of development and strengthening of democratic civil society in our country, reinforcement of national identity and prestige not only in Ukraine but internationally as well. By way of enhancement and restitution of holistic educational system in Ukraine, its specialists will become competitive and demanded in the world, high scientific potential of the country will lead to initiation of progress of state-of-the-art material production, information technologies, speed up the rate of economic development and bring our country living standards nearer to those of the leading developed countries of the world.
