State schools admit they do not push gifted pupils because they don't want to promote 'elitism'

This is in the UK but I'd wager the same type of thinking goes on here as well. You never know though - maybe we just can't be bothered.

"As many as three-quarters of state schools are failing to push their brightest pupils because teachers are reluctant to promote 'elitism', an Ofsted study says today."

For the record the UK stomped us in the 2006 PISA tests:

Science:

UK raw score: 515

Upper/Lower rank: 12/18

US raw score: 489

Upper/Lower rank: 24/35

Math:

UK raw score: 495

Upper/Lower rank: 22/27

US raw score: 474

Upper/Lower rank: 32/36

The reading scores for the US were thrown out in 2006 due to a printing error on the booklets.

Hmm, I wonder if we could get some of our state run schools to say they were holding students back?

h/t Instapundit