There is a saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results." I'd say for a gifted, self-motivated child, the defintion of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, already knowing the results will never change.
I have dual careers, farming(raising cattle specifically) and software engineer with database design. Farming is the least boring because there is so much to learn about genetics. In computers, if you're good, you tend to get pigeon-holed into one job where you become the guru. Being a guru helps other people learn, but at a certain level of knowledge I have to branch out into another area or I'll go insane. So, I know several programming languages on multiple platforms, supporting multiple applications for multiple systems.
In school, I was a genuine pain in the neck. I had to accept I would be doing the same thing everyone else did, but I added my own touch. That didn't go over well for many teachers!
I would have had to have been radically accelerated in school if I was placed accurately. Maybe that path would have led to me studying cattle genetics in a lab instead of in the field. Or maybe someday I'll combine my computer skills with the data available from our breed association and find what combination of genetics has the highest chance of producing certain characteristics.
The bottom line is you have to make the best decision you can for your own child. There are no guarantees how any decision will turn out. But the most important thing is for the child to know you truly love them.
