All About GEP
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doodbug\" post_id=\"2116773\" time=\"1692414078\" user_id=\"13281:
We should distinguish between GEP itself causing negative perceptions and GEP preparation.
But GEP is funded by taxpayers monies and resources, unlike private expenditures like toys and cars, so the public can express concern if public spending is creating certain outcomes that are undesirable.
The negativity from some KSP posters, whose kids didn't enter GEP, isn't a strong reason to cut the program.
In this forum, Lena provided an excellent response, highlighting that Singapore relies on its people as a resource, and the GEP's existence doesn't take away from mainstream students.
In truth, very few GEP families criticize the program. Many negative comments seem like sour grapes. -
jialinmum\" post_id=\"2116797\" time=\"1692436306\" user_id=\"202564:
Could you share the absolute number that make it to GEP from these prep schools
I think they do not publish the % but they publish the absolute numbers, which will shock many of us -
bbbay\" post_id=\"2116799\" time=\"1692437371\" user_id=\"175278:
I don’t want to advertise for these centers. Will send you as a private message
Could you share the absolute number that make it to GEP from these prep schools -
bbbay\" post_id=\"2116783\" time=\"1692426010\" user_id=\"175278:
Even if the GEP prep schools publish the %, why do we parents believe them as facts?
Do the GEP prep schools publish % of their students accepted into the GEP program? This will be good indication whether preparations work. I don’t think we can rely on the argument it works because there is big demand for it. Quite like lottery is a billion dollar industry but only a handful of people strike lottery, but still it attracts many to place bets during every draw.
Discerning parents must realise that they are at best marketing gimmicks and claims until proven. How can individual parents verify their CLAIMS? Is it against the law to claim xxx students have gotten into GEP successfully in the last YY years? Who can verify? Can we go to the counter, email them to ask them to show proof?
What % or numbers published is not a good indication whether the preparation works. -
GEP curriculum covers the same content areas as those in mainstream but is extended in breath and depth. And GEP students will sit for the same PSLE and proceed to IP or O level, just like mainstream students. Sounds quite like IP, where students are exposed to an enriched curriculum but also learn the same syllabus and sit for the same A level exam as mainstream students. Or A level students taking H3 subject with extended contents but only the standard syllabus H2 content results will count towards applying for local U or local scholarships, just like mainstream students. But taking H3 subject may offers some advantages when apply for foreign U.
Seem like students from enriched programmes like GEP, IP or takers of H3 A level subjects , also take the same standard syllabus and will be assessed on them just like all mainstream students. The additional enriched curriculums of GEP, IP and H3 subjects have no bearing on the education progression locally.
the discussions on IP and H3 subject have been on whether the students are suited to the curriculum (for enrolling in IP) or having strong foundation and interest (for taking H3 subject). Shouldn’t we also apply the same considerations when enrolling students into GEP, if we also want to care about their mental well-being? Primary school students have less developed coping mechanisms than Sec or A level students. shouldn’t we pay even more attentions in their curriculum than the older Sec/A level students? -
manorway\" post_id=\"2116839\" time=\"1692457821\" user_id=\"9303:
I checked again and found that many of them do list the absolute numbers.
Even if the GEP prep schools publish the %, why do we parents believe them as facts?
Discerning parents must realise that they are at best marketing gimmicks and claims until proven. How can individual parents verify their CLAIMS? Is it against the law to claim xxx students have gotten into GEP successfully in the last YY years? Who can verify? Can we go to the counter, email them to ask them to show proof?
What % or numbers published is not a good indication whether the preparation works.
Conservatively speaking, at least 80% of the GEP cohort in recent years went for some course.
May take a bit more effort to find them since many of them are in Chinese.
As an example, let's not even use the Chinese centers but Mindstretcher, which is everywhere.
On their front page, they stated \"664 GEP Prep Lab students qualified for GEP 2010-2022\", which works out to 51 per year. and they are the small fry.
There is no reason to doubt that they are true. Just ask any recent GEP parent or teacher.
You can also look at the Top winners list for the various competitions like NMOS, they are overwhelmingly new citizens or PRs or foreigners.
The inclination to deny this reality is entirely understandable. -
My second daughter is in P5 and in a GEP school in the east with a cohort of 19 students. She asked each and everyone of them last year and none took a GEP preparatory course. (Yes, she actually surveyed each and everyone)
Is it an Easterner thing? or some Gep schools more atas and competitive?
Just to set the context clear, both my girls never had tuition or academic enrichment. But have plenty of sports, music, dance and art classes. Yes I do identify as kiasu because I loaded them with hundreds of P6 prelims and psle papers since P3 and go thru with them myself. FYI, all of us suck at MO.
I am not against any enrichment or tuition at all. Just saying GEP preparatory courses are bullshit.
😂 flame away… 🔥 -
jialinmum\" post_id=\"2117039\" time=\"1692668796\" user_id=\"202564:
I can see you are doing your best to provoke. Yes, this is a forum and you are entitled to your opinion. If you want to send your kid to prep course, no one is stopping you. Why do you need any affirmation from anyone? UNLESS you are unsure of its merits.
As an example, let's not even use the Chinese centers but Mindstretcher, which is everywhere.
On their front page, they stated \"664 GEP Prep Lab students qualified for GEP 2010-2022\", which works out to 51 per year. and they are the small fry.
There is no reason to doubt that they are true. Just ask any recent GEP parent or teacher.
You can also look at the Top winners list for the various competitions like NMOS, they are overwhelmingly new citizens or PRs or foreigners.
The inclination to deny this reality is entirely understandable.
Why try to sway anyone's opinion UNLESS you have an agenda like it can help you with your business? You can deny anything you like and frankly I don't care one bit what you deny.
I have seen the numbers published. But so what? It is JUST A NUMBER. Where is the proof? Show me the proof, then we talk more.
Why is there NO REASON to doubt the numbers are true?!! Just because it is printed and published, there is no reason to doubt? Is this your best argument? Now you are making me laugh out loud. Even my 8 year old knows just because something is printed, only the gullible people will believe it without questioning.
As far as I am concerned, there is EVERY reason to doubt because an establishment can publish any number if there is NO NEED to prove. There is a name for such tactic, it is called Marketing GIMMICKS and ADVERTISING CLAIMS. Go read it up. It exists in many industries.
Just because one can read and write does not automatically mean one can think critically and is discerning enough, capable enough to identify FAKE NEWS from FACTS. Which piece of information out there on social media and printed materials is FACTUAL and which is just claim or the writer's opinion?
When one lacks the capability to be discerning, the inclination to misinterpret is entirely understandable. -
manorway\" post_id=\"2117122\" time=\"1692704046\" user_id=\"9303:
There’s no need to doubt the numbers. It may be true, it may not be true…. for more importantly, it’s irrelevant. This is like showing you an elephant tail and describing the elephant as slim, slender and hairy. It’s both true and false at the same time.
…
I have seen the numbers published. But so what? It is JUST A NUMBER. Where is the proof? Show me the proof, then we talk more.
Why is there NO REASON to doubt the numbers are true?!! Just because it is printed and published, there is no reason to doubt? Is this your best argument? Now you are making me laugh out loud. Even my 8 year old knows just because something is printed, only the gullible people will believe it without questioning.
…
The key isn’t how many qualified for GEP from the prep course but rather the rate of success of such courses, assuming no pre-screening is done. Those numbers are, unfortunately, what the centers don’t want you to know / see. I think centers should be brave enough to offer GEP prep courses and charge you (an exorbitant sum) if the child qualified and a full refund if the child doesn’t, if they are so confident about their courses. -
floppy\" post_id=\"2117128\" time=\"1692706207\" user_id=\"97579:
As long as it may be true and it may be untrue, I will not just believe the number just like this. The number they printed, be it absolute number qualified or success % is irrelevant to me because I do not believe it, since there is no need to prove. So even if I were to send to a centre, I will not look at that number to make a decision. But to many others who believe everything printed, it becomes a relevant factor.
There’s no need to doubt the numbers. It may be true, it may not be true…. for more importantly, it’s irrelevant. This is like showing you an elephant tail and describing the elephant as slim, slender and hairy. It’s both true and false at the same time.
The key isn’t how many qualified for GEP from the prep course but rather the rate of success of such courses, assuming no pre-screening is done. Those numbers are, unfortunately, what the centers don’t want you to know / see. I think centers should be brave enough to offer GEP prep courses and charge you (an exorbitant sum) if the child qualified and a full refund if the child doesn’t, if they are so confident about their courses.
If say 51 kids/year from one centre qualified for GEP and let's say they had 1000 students taking the prep course, it means 949 kids FAILED to qualify after the prep. Some parents would still pay, hoping their kids could be one of the next \"51 who qualified\".
A GEP prep centre published for 2 consecutive years a few years ago, that over 70% qualified for GEP. However, not many knew the centre had only 4 kids doing GEP prep course in one of those years. I happened to know a parent whose kid was in that course that year. She could not believe that 3 out of 4 in that tiny class qualified. But that 70% was enough to attract another batch of parents the following year to pay for the course that cost an arm and a leg.
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