All About GEP

[INNOVATE]

cluelessmama


Congrats for having a gifted kid.

I merely share my views on thats no need for GEP P4-P6 in view of various IPs. My messages in particular seek to address the issue of parents opting for special programmes for their kids who may not be really gifted after all.

Whether your argument about GEP providing a strong foundation for IP students has never been the focus of this debate at all. This debate is about providing a less stressful enviroment for bright kids who may or no be gifted. Whether a student is able to win top scholarships or not does not depend on any gifted programme. That’s the crux of my validity of arguments.

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fanren


That’s no unhappiness on my part. Reading btw the lines, one can sense the reasons why parents are so eager to send their kids to GEP. My messages are to counter the enthusiasm that one may have on going all out to send their kids to GEP even though theirs may not be gifted after all.

[zeemimi]

INNOVATE


aiyah, cos most of the parents here don't know your background la. :nunchuk:

if they visit the 7 new IP schs thread, they will know you hv inside info and not anyhow \"harm tam\" in forum.

anyway, my boy is also selected for 2nd round. we never train him for anything. see if hv, hv, don't hv, don't hv. not the end of the world.

[INNOVATE]

zeemimi


Congratulations for having such a bright boy. Agreed with you that as far as GEP , it should be natural.

[naggo-nitemare]

INNOVATE:

In recent years, students with PSLE T-score of only 250-269 were crowned as President Scholars and SAF Overseas Merit Scholars. They were not chosen for the GEP.

Pls understand tt the President scholarship and the SAF overseas merit scholarship may not be a goal for many intellectually gifted people. These scholarships appeal to those who want to serve in govt. Many gifted scholars prefer a narrow path of research or a career in academia or a scholarship tt does not require a service bond so tt they can do further studies w/o having to seek the approval of the respective govt organisations. There are countless scholarships out there, offered by not only the s'pore govt, but also by big corps, esteemed universities, foundations...If a gifted individual has no interest in serving in govt, it is not right to apply for it just so tt people like urself can say tt 'oh, money is not wasted after all in the P4-P6 GEP'.

A close friend of mine who teaches in a top IP sch was informed by her principal tt through these yrs of GEP, the statistics hv shown tt GEP pupils perform v well in general at the 'a' levels.

My DS hv benefited alot in the past 3 yrs in this prog. It stretches his mind, he learns to qn psle std answers, he develops his own writing style but he switches to psle compo modes when required. it will be simply cruel to let gifted children remain being bored in the upper pri yrs when they hv had 3 torturous yrs in lower primary. so pl dont begrudge the amt spent on these group of kids. And stop mixing up the issue of IP n GEP for upper pri level.

[ngbrdad]

INNOVATE:

In recent years, students with PSLE T-score of only 250-269 were crowned as President Scholars and SAF Overseas Merit Scholars. They were not chosen for the GEP.


How on earth they managed to pawn many GEP students? An obvious answer must be their enlighted parents who doubled as motivators, councellors and above all, they always seek favors from above.

Wise parents do the above and not spend a small fortune on programmes to train their kids to be gifted. Gifted is a gift from GOD not thru any training programme.

If you look at the stuff the GEP kids are learning compared to the mainstream kids, a lot of things may not come out in PSLE at all. Similarly they don't learn quite a lot of stuff learnt by their peers.
I'm comparing what my son who is in P5 now to the mainstream P5. Certainly they don't learn follow the same lesson progress in math and Science.

A lot of time is spend on social studies/project work/investigative work etc as well.

For Chinese basically there is no difference between GEP and non GEP.

Only subject GEP students should have an advangate in PSLE is English.

So not surprise at all if GEP kids don't do as well as mainstream kids.

[aqeqiq]

Perhaps the success of the gep for any child lies in the attitude of the parents. Don’t pressurize, don’t send for gep enrichment, if your child gets in it means he/she is grounded in the basics and will be able to enjoy and benefit from the enriched gep program. From what I have read in the 175 pages of this thread,the gep program seems to be rigorous so for the sake of my dd’s mental health, this is the approach I am taking. All the best to the 4000+ children including mine taking the papers next tue and wed.

[jtoh]

aqeqiq:

Perhaps the success of the gep for any child lies in the attitude of the parents. Don't pressurize, don't send for gep enrichment, if your child gets in it means he/she is grounded in the basics and will be able to enjoy and benefit from the enriched gep program. From what I have read in the 175 pages of this thread,the gep program seems to be rigorous so for the sake of my dd's mental health, this is the approach I am taking. All the best to the 4000+ children including mine taking the papers next tue and wed.

I'm impressed. You actually read through all 175 pages. :lol: Just a minor note, getting into GEP doesn't mean that you're grounded in the basics. It means that you have the intellectual capability to take the rigours of the demanding programme. The programme is demanding but very interesting and enjoyable for the ones who made it in on their own two feet. For those who hot-housed their way in, it is a terrible struggle. Great that you've got the right attitude.

[kiasiparent]

Anyone knows when the gep second round test? the date? Thanks…Cant find it.

[ngbrdad]

kiasiparent:

Anyone knows when the gep second round test? the date? Thanks...Cant find it.

If you kid has the letter it's stated on it.
19 and 20 Oct