All About GEP

[clover18]

By the way, are GEPers required to stay back after school more often for extra project work, etc? or is it the usual 1 day per week of extended hour?

[TREX8]

clover18:

By the way, are GEPers required to stay back after school more often for extra project work, etc? or is it the usual 1 day per week of extended hour?

My DD's in P5 GEP. Just to share about workload and staying back, though it might differ from school to school.
For P4 and P5, DD has to stay back once a week for either CL or HCL (until 3.30pm).
DD stays back on another day for CEP (Computer Enrichment Programme) and IRS (Individual Research Study) - both held on the same day (ends at 4pm). So she needs to stay back only two times a week on weekdays. Her CCA's on Saturday. As far as I know, her school doesn't conduct supplementary/remedial class.

With regards to workload, she could manage to do the worksheets, research, project work etc and still have time for reading and she goes to bed by around 9.30/10pm.

She attends Chinese and Math enrichment, as well as piano.

From my observation, DD's not any more busy as compared to her friends in mainstream - except that the work assigned is more challenging and less mundane.

[cluelessmama]

TREX8:

clover18:

By the way, are GEPers required to stay back after school more often for extra project work, etc? or is it the usual 1 day per week of extended hour?

My DD's in P5 GEP. Just to share about workload and staying back, though it might differ from school to school.
For P4 and P5, DD has to stay back once a week for either CL or HCL (until 3.30pm).
DD stays back on another day for CEP (Computer Enrichment Programme) and IRS (Individual Research Study) - both held on the same day (ends at 4pm). So she needs to stay back only two times a week on weekdays. Her CCA's on Saturday. As far as I know, her school doesn't conduct supplementary/remedial class.

With regards to workload, she could manage to do the worksheets, research, project work etc and still have time for reading and she goes to bed by around 9.30/10pm.

She attends Chinese and Math enrichment, as well as piano.

From my observation, DD's not any more busy as compared to her friends in mainstream - except that the work assigned is more challenging and less mundane.

Hi, out of curiosity - where does dd attend chinese and maths enrichment? thx

[ksme]

Congratulations to all P3 kids who have been selected for the GEP program. It is an exciting and for some, a confusing and worrying time.


Here's the link to an article written by 1 GEP parent which helped several of us last year whether to proceed with the GEP or not. You may want to check it out:

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/gep-or-not-gep-perspectives-gep-parent

For those wondering which GEP school to choose, you may want to check out this link which is for an article written by another GEP parent last year:

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/choosing-gep-school

From my family's experience, it has been a fruitful and interesting year. DS has thoroughly enjoyed his experience in GEP and while he jokingly says he likes the curriculum but not the homework, we can tell he has become better as an independent learner and time management. On our part as parents, we provide him with as much support as we can especially when he needs us to bring him to friends' house for projects or invite his friends to come over for projects or spend some money on resources for projects etc. It was worrying and unsettling at first for us (kid and parents) to get used to the level and pace of the program but it got better in term 2 and definitely term 3. We are all happy that the school year is coming to an end and we can take a well deserved break to recharge for another hectic and exciting year ahead.

I wish all the P3 kids and parents who will be going to GEP all the best and hope you will enjoy the experience as much as we have. So many other parents have written their thoughts as well so don't worry about not coping. The kids are resilient and things will fall in place in couple of months. Good luck!

[TREX8]

We are not consistent with regards to Chinese enrichment - especially since we have shifted home recently. She has attended lessons at Hua (United Square) and eduplus. We are exploring switching her over to Busy Bee.


For maths, she started with TLL at the beginning of this year.

cluelessmama:

Hi, out of curiosity - where does dd attend chinese and maths enrichment? thx

[ksme]

syshi:

Heard the 'friendly advise' not only given to a few.. But eventhough got concern, the teachers should think of the ways internally first before 'advising' to go external tuition..

It is the first time I hear about GEP teachers giving advice to go external tuition. In my DS' school, right from the beginning of the school year, GEP HOD and teachers have told us during the briefing no need to go for tuition. The curriculum is sufficiently challenging and therefore, there should be no need for enrichment. Even after SA1 for kids who did not do that well in certain subjects, the advice is to read more and practice more. When we specifically asked if we should send our kids for tuition, the teachers still insisted there is no necessity. Remedial classes are conducted by the school teachers for the kids who fail certain subjects after Common test 1. These kids all seem to do very well in SA2. I don't know if they have gone for tuition. If you think that your kid has done ok, then no need to follow the \"friendly advice\" lah.

[longreach]

My son did not get selected which was expected, the letter we received from MOE did not indicated the percentile on the P3 cohort.


Few years ago when my eldest son sat for the 2nd round screening, though he did not get selected, however, the letter did indicate he was within the top 10 percent of the cohort.

Just curious for those not selected, did the letter indicate the percentile?

[Nebbermind]

but aren't the no. of kids who went for 2nd rd abt 10% of the cohort? :?

[longreach]

Nebbermind:

but aren't the no. of kids who went for 2nd rd abt 10% of the cohort? :?

I wasnt sure that's why I am clarifying.

[syshi]

ksme:

syshi:

Heard the 'friendly advise' not only given to a few.. But eventhough got concern, the teachers should think of the ways internally first before 'advising' to go external tuition..

It is the first time I hear about GEP teachers giving advice to go external tuition. In my DS' school, right from the beginning of the school year, GEP HOD and teachers have told us during the briefing no need to go for tuition. The curriculum is sufficiently challenging and therefore, there should be no need for enrichment. Even after SA1 for kids who did not do that well in certain subjects, the advice is to read more and practice more. When we specifically asked if we should send our kids for tuition, the teachers still insisted there is no necessity. Remedial classes are conducted by the school teachers for the kids who fail certain subjects after Common test 1. These kids all seem to do very well in SA2. I don't know if they have gone for tuition. If you think that your kid has done ok, then no need to follow the \"friendly advice\" lah.

Thanks for sharing... That's why I found the 'friendly advise' confusing and demoralizing...