All About GEP

[sushi88]

mother777:

tyeogh:

[quote=\"mother777\"]Well I am citizen..so my child is as affected as any one of the fellow citizen speaking up here.

From what I have read in this forum, GEP division are looking for a specific set of children to enter into the GEP program.

Lets assume all foreigners are barred from entering this exam, only citizens are allowed to take exam.
If only 250 kids qualify the selection critieria, then that years cohort will be of 250 students only.. there is no way they will select the children who don't qualify.

well these are just my humble thoughts..it was not my intension to create a controversy here..

Wish good luck to all the children who attempted GEP this year..am sure all did their best..

Suppose for borderline cases, the entry score is just 1 mark apart. Are you going to say someone who missed 1 question is not gifted whereas the person who scored 1 more correct question is? We are talking about 9 years old kids. Maybe she looked up at the ceiling and missed 1 question - and becomes ungifted??

I am not disagreeing with what you are saying. I am saying someone should look into expanding GEP to 1,000 places instead. Our systems need to catch up with the foreigner growth, much like the MRT and bus networks. But some one needs to raise the issue.

Oh ok you worried about the borderline cases..ya agree these should be given a chance..[/quote]
Every number chosen will have borderline cases, what happens to the 1001 kid if you suspect your child is that one? :? :?

[sleepy]

tyeogh:

sleepy:

[quote=\"tyeogh\"] I am not disagreeing with what you are saying. I am saying someone should look into expanding GEP to 1,000 places instead. Our systems need to catch up with the foreigner growth, much like the MRT and bus networks. But some one needs to raise the issue.

Although population increase but number of babies born each year are not exactly on uptrend. At this moment, gep screening managed to pick up slightly over 1% of cohort.

That's why I'm wondering what was the % of intake back in 1980s and 1990s

500 since 1999.

http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/forum/2008/01/gep-graduates-are-doing-well-p.php[/quote]500 is how many % of cohort?
need to know cohort size to make comparison

[mother777]

Well we cannot satisfy all…every batch there will kids who are left out due to borderline. It’s the same as getting your preferred school after psle. You may miss your choice of school by 1 point or even lesser…

We have to move on…

[tyeogh]

sushi88:

Every number chosen will have borderline cases, what happen to the 1001 kid if you suspect your child is that one? :? :?

Agree. So it is not about \"giftedness\" but about opportunities. If that 501 or 530th child is offered, maybe he can make it? But bec of foreign numbers, this \"able\" 530th position citizen is deprived. See my point?

I was responding to mother777 who opined that it may not be beneficial to offer GEP to a child who is not capable of it. My reply is that the child may be capable of it if he is given a chance.

[tyeogh]

sleepy:

500 is how many % of cohort?
need to know cohort size to make comparison

Waaa!! My name Google ah? LoL. Wu Kwee Turtle lah! Cohort size I dunno. 1999 population approx 4m. Today, 5.3m

So what should be the corresponding NEW GEP size?

(sounds like my daughters GEP maths question sia.....haha!)

[sleepy]

tyeogh:

sleepy:

500 is how many % of cohort?
need to know cohort size to make comparison

Waaa!! My name Google ah? LoL. Wu Kwee Turtle lah! Cohort size I dunno. 1999 population approx 4m. Today, 5.3m

So what should be the corresponding NEW GEP size?

(sounds like my daughters GEP maths question sia.....haha!)

tyeogh:

look into expanding GEP to 1,000 places instead. Our systems need to catch up with the foreigner growth, much like the MRT and bus networks.

Just trying to discuss your view that gep intake 'need to catch up with foreign growth'


My gut feel is although population increased but number of babies born each year are not exactly on uptrend. Many migrants are already adult when they came to Singapore. So the population increase % may not be in sync with the number of babies born.

Not expecting you to know the cohort size. I have no idea either

What I'm trying to say is unless we know the cohort size (if data is made available), this 1% (plus minus) of cohort probably has been pretty consistent all along. At least that was the impression given during the gep parents briefing presentation.

So if present this argument to MOE that gep intake 'need to catch up with foreign growth' is probably not a strong argument unless data is made available to analyse the % intake trend over the last decade and perhaps even further break down the numbers between citizen and foreigners to see if there's indeed a significant shift in gep intake distribution.

In the 1980s and 1990s, I suppose there would be close to 100% citizen in gep. So what's the shift in % now? How significant is that shift in %? Would that % be 'acceptable' to most citizens? Oh boi, DATA, we need data

With more info, you can present a stronger and more convincing case to MOE.

I'm sitting on the fence at this moment until more data is made known. At this point, it's seems inconclusive. I'm a citizen by the way :siam:

However, I do support the argument that some forumers raised earlier. To take up citizenship if a foreign student is admitted to gep.

[sushi88]

tyeogh:

sushi88:

Every number chosen will have borderline cases, what happen to the 1001 kid if you suspect your child is that one? :? :?

Agree. So it is not about \"giftedness\" but about opportunities. If that 501 or 530th child is offered, maybe he can make it? But bec of foreign numbers, this \"able\" 530th position citizen is deprived. See my point?

I was responding to mother777 who opined that it may not be beneficial to offer GEP to a child who is not capable of it. My reply is that the child may be capable of it if he is given a chance.

I understand your point. For such students who are so called not entirely strong in the testing of the 2 subjects, there exists other opportunities for them which are not spelt out and maybe by design. Are your children in GEP now?

[sleepy]

mommyNg:

Perhaps MOE should clarify how much $$, on average, did they have to put in to support a child through the GEP program from P4 to P6, and how many, for the last 5 years, of the children in the GEP program were Singaporeans vs PRs/foreigners? Then we have a better position to argue for whether Singaporean kids should have priority to benefit from this program...?

Yes, we certainly need more info before drawing any conclusion

[Steadyberry]

Sorry for OT. Refer to Foreigner or PR to take up citizenship if the kid is admitted to Gep as some parents suggested. I assume you are asking gahmen to offer citizenship to the parents or get the parents to apply for citizenship. Immigration has their own policy on who to approve or reject and what if the parents are not qualified and gahmen reject their application. Then how? What to do next? Reject the kid from entering gep? Maybe gahmen just want the gep kid and hopefully once the kid reach 18, gahmen hope that the kid will apply for citizenship or gahmen will offer citizenship to the kid…

[sleepy]

sushi88:

I have asked this before.

The GE screening is such that if they do not fill up the seats, they do not try hard to fill it up if there are less qualifying numbers. Also, if they found more suitable kids they would take in more. So honestly, with this kind of +/- band, if the children cannot make it, they really cannot, not because the seats are taken up by the PRs or foreigners so they are not a cause at all.

That's what we were told during gep parents briefing. I accepted that explanation wholeheartedly.

However, after reading various posting here, it actually started me pondering.
In the 1980s and 1990s, I suppose there would be close to 100% citizen in gep.
Simplistically speaking, if screening test can pick 500 students who are citizens back in the 80s & 90s, theoretically screening test nowadays should too, assuming descendants' intelligence remains constant :evil:

So if we add foreigners to the equation, what's the shift in % now between citizens and foreigners? How significant is that shift in %?

I don't have any stake in pushing for changes. Just that my curiosity is now being stirred. Anyway, more data is needed before any opinion can be formed la


By the way, I'm not objecting to foreigners in gep programme. I only hope they will choose to stay in Singapore after being 栽培. And right now, there doesn't seem to be any attempt by MOE to ask them to demonstrate commitment? Okay, maybe that's a separate dept. Then these two dept obviously need to work together.

I think that's only a fair expectation, to see some commitment that foreign students have the intention to continue staying in Singapore after being 栽培 in a programme with only 500 vacancies (thereabout). If not, might as well use that resource on a citizen. Fairly logical? Don't stone me hor :siam: