SIXTY outstanding primary students begin an intensive training course today to explore their special talents.
The programme, organised by the Gifted Education Council, is tailored for children between nine and 11 years old with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of over 125.
The programme will be built around the theme, ''Save Planet Earth'', to give the course colour and added interest.
Topics for discussion vary from environment, ecological system and atmospheric cycle, to the green house effect and the ozone layer.
Council chairman Mr Rex Li Ip-fu said the programme had received ''quite a good response'', with over 230 children signing up.
To join the programme, applicants had to have a strong academic record and take a series of tests, including a creativity test, creative writing and Raven's Progressive Matrices.
''We originally offered 40 places, but, with the good response and high standard, we decided to add more places,'' Mr Li said. ''Most of the successful applicants were found to have an IQ of over 130, although we required only 125.'' Participants of the course, which is free of charge, will take six intensive classes (of 11/2 hours each) spread over three weeks, under specially trained teachers.