I think the problem is that people tend to see the genetic factor as the predominant factor, and conclude that some kids aren’t worth the effort. The balance b

I think the problem is that people tend to see the genetic factor as the predominant factor, and conclude that some kids aren’t worth the effort. The balance between nature and nurture is tbd, but what we’ve seen is that humans have a lot of plasticity and the major factor is your environment. Your athletics analogy is apt I think. Here’s the part that’s missing - who’s likely to be better at basketball? A gifted child with no training or an average kid who has spent years drilling and studying basketball. Through this we can see that even average people can do really well at something if we give them a proper upbringing, something that many kids are denied today. (For completeness, of course there are kids who are gifted and receive training. Those are gonna be fine and we probably don’t have to worry about them, they already excel)