ABSTRACT
A combination of the study of twins and, more recently the mapping of human DNA, has brought us closer to beginning to know how far our genes impact on our ability learn.
Research is telling us that with certain clusters of genes we can find it easier to learn to read, do better in exams and stay in education longer. Genes associated with intelligence are also being found as researchers crunch the ever bigger amounts of data becoming available since the mapping of the first human genome.
What if children’s DNA was mapped at birth so the genes associated with learning difficulties such as dyslexia could be spotted early and children helped before they fall behind at school? Is personalised gene influenced learning a good thing or does it run the risk of making children give up ‘because of their genes’?
What if the way parents nurture their children is down to their own genes? Are they predisposed to nurture a sporty, artistic or academic child? Academics clash on what the research means and how it should be used. One thing is certain, genes are not our destiny but predictions of what might happen. We are responsible for our lives.
