HelenaP
March 25th, 2010, 09:42 PM
Prodigy, 13, claims age discrimination by UConn
By STEPHEN SINGER, Associated Press Writer Stephen Singer, Associated Press Writer – Thu Mar 25, 3:57 pm ET
STORRS, Conn. – Even at 13, Colin Carlson believes he's running out of time.
Colin is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, seeking a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and another in environmental studies. But he's been knocked off course by the university's rejection of his request to take a class that includes summer field work in South Africa.
He and his mother say university officials told them he is too young for the overseas course. So he's filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of Education, which is investigating.
"I'm losing time in my four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the framework of one of my majors."
Michael Kirk, a spokesman for UConn, would not comment on Colin's case. But he said that generally, safety is the university's first concern when travel is involved.
The university would not let Colin enroll, even after his mother, Jessica Offir, offered to release UConn from liability and accompany her son as a chaperone at her own expense, she and Colin said.
Colin was 2 or 3 when he began reading on his own, Offir said, and was up to "Harry Potter" by the time he was 4. An only child, he has faced trouble before because of his brainpower. His kindergarten teacher would not allow him to take books with him at nap time, and he was ridiculed by other children who fired math questions at him to entertain themselves, she said.
"You have no idea what kids like this experience," Offir said.
Read the rest here... (url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad)
Source (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad)
(Note ~ I don't know how I would handle this as a parent. But I can understand the boy's reasoning and if his mother is willing, they should let him go.)
By STEPHEN SINGER, Associated Press Writer Stephen Singer, Associated Press Writer – Thu Mar 25, 3:57 pm ET
STORRS, Conn. – Even at 13, Colin Carlson believes he's running out of time.
Colin is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, seeking a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and another in environmental studies. But he's been knocked off course by the university's rejection of his request to take a class that includes summer field work in South Africa.
He and his mother say university officials told them he is too young for the overseas course. So he's filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of Education, which is investigating.
"I'm losing time in my four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the framework of one of my majors."
Michael Kirk, a spokesman for UConn, would not comment on Colin's case. But he said that generally, safety is the university's first concern when travel is involved.
The university would not let Colin enroll, even after his mother, Jessica Offir, offered to release UConn from liability and accompany her son as a chaperone at her own expense, she and Colin said.
Colin was 2 or 3 when he began reading on his own, Offir said, and was up to "Harry Potter" by the time he was 4. An only child, he has faced trouble before because of his brainpower. His kindergarten teacher would not allow him to take books with him at nap time, and he was ridiculed by other children who fired math questions at him to entertain themselves, she said.
"You have no idea what kids like this experience," Offir said.
Read the rest here... (url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad)
Source (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad)
(Note ~ I don't know how I would handle this as a parent. But I can understand the boy's reasoning and if his mother is willing, they should let him go.)