2009 DSA(Direct School Admission)

[NdHelpParent]

JustKP:

That's where I feel that they are not competing on fair ground. GEP pupils are trained and exposed to maths olympiad type of questions. Good thing that you can give ''internal'' training. Your hard work has definitely paid off.

I think Math can take alot out of those little ones..good in Math must also include fast and accurate in producing answers within a short given time frame.. Just think: Some are real good in Math..but produce careless answers unintentionally..even gifted ones. Speed & accuracy in output.

Those courses ..i think ... can only train them so much.

[Merlion]

> Well, it's also real hard to say that all GEP kids are gifted just by one MCQ screening exam.


I did not use the word \"gifted\", I used the word \"good\". I always say that not all GEP kids are gifted, a lot of them are \"advance learning\". Please read my posting 1 month ago - I don't think GEP selection test is a fair game anymore. But GEP branch does not have much choice as this is the best way to select. Just like PSLE - can we say that a student is better than the other by one exam? Of course, there are still a lot of \"hidden\" gifted kids in mainstream. They can perform better than some GEP kids.
But until you have kids in GEP, then you will realize why your kid has to spend so much time on so many non-PSLE related work and projects? All these hard work are very time consuming and will not be reflected on PSLE result. It will be better to spend more time on doing PSLE related things or MO training right? Is this fair then? There are a lot of unfair things in the world. So don't keep saying that this is unfair and that is unfair, it does not help. I like the song Greatest Love of All - \"I believe children are future, teach them well and let them lead the way.\" All childrean are gifted / good in certain area. Give them the space and freedom to develope. Cheers ! :celebrate:

[edanson]

Justkp:
[quote]That's where I feel that they are not competing on fair ground. GEP pupils are trained and exposed to maths olympiad type of questions. Good thing that you can give ''internal'' training. Your hard work has definitely paid off.[/quote]Merlion:[quote]Not all GEP schools provide GEP kids external MO training. [/quote]Yes, I strongly agree with Merlion. Not all GEP have MO training.

I have 2 kids - my girl who is non-GEP (got through first screening test but not selected during the second selection test) and my boy in the GEP.

My girl was selected by her school for MO training since P4 and had free training on every Saturdays for three years (P4,P5 &P6).

Likewise many other parents, I was waiting for news about MO training for my boy when he went in to the new school (for GEP), but after two and a half years of patience waiting I finally received a form asking parents if we are keen to enroll our kid in an MO training course (we need to pay for it) - sad
[quote]LearningParent wrote:

My son was not selected to represent his school (As there are too many GEP pupils). He did not have any external training. I have to provide the 'internal' training for him. [/quote]There are many non GEP students in my son's school who were selected for competition and there are also GEP students who are not selected for training.
My girl who is non-GEP was selected for training cum competition too.

So the selection of a child for MO training or not is not due to GEP students, please be understanding to them too - don't always blame them.

Please be fair to the GEP . Thank you

[naggo-nitemare]

Tks Merlion for a balanced and accurate response regarding this issue on the GEP curriculum w/c me son is in the 2nd yr of. There is no truth in saying tt the GEP kids receive extra MO training. In contrast, some of the neighbour schs train their promising pupils since P4. Where my son is studying, he had to pay for the MO training if he were to sign up for it. He relied on his natural ability n passion for math to make it to the 2nd round of NMOS.

[NdHelpParent]

Merlion:

> Well, it's also real hard to say that all GEP kids are gifted just by one MCQ screening exam.


I did not use the word \"gifted\", I used the word \"good\". I always say that not all GEP kids are gifted, a lot of them are \"advance learning\". Please read my posting 1 month ago - I don't think GEP selection test is a fair game anymore. But GEP branch does not have much choice as this is the best way to select. Just like PSLE - can we say that a student is better than the other by one exam? Of course, there are still a lot of \"hidden\" gifted kids in mainstream. They can perform better than some GEP kids.
But until you have kids in GEP, then you will realize why your kid has to spend so much time on so many non-PSLE related work and projects? All these hard work are very time consuming and will not be reflected on PSLE result. It will be better to spend more time on doing PSLE related things or MO training right? Is this fair then? There are a lot of unfair things in the world. So don't keep saying that this is unfair and that is unfair, it does not help. I like the song Greatest Love of All - \"I believe children are future, teach them well and let them lead the way.\" All childrean are gifted / good in certain area. Give them the space and freedom to develope. Cheers ! :celebrate:

Cheers :celebrate: Agree with Merlion.
But i think when the word \" unfair \" was used by some here ...i don't think they mean to mean really \"unfair\"...but simply = \" puzzling\" over the DSA entry req'mt...so just relax ... and continue sharing with one another here.

[NdHelpParent]

naggo-nitemare:

Tks Merlion for a balanced and accurate response regarding this issue on the GEP curriculum w/c me son is in the 2nd yr of. There is no truth in saying tt the GEP kids receive extra MO training. In contrast, some of the neighbour schs train their promising pupils since P4. Where my son is studying, he had to pay for the MO training if he were to sign up for it. He relied on his natural ability n passion for math to make it to the 2nd round of NMOS.

Yup...my friend's nephew...his fathe is a factory worker with sec 2 educatin and mother is a homemaker who speaks little English. But the boy was in the gifted programme ...check this...NO external training of any sorts ..becasue where got $$$? The boy was always in his own world but gifted in writing etc... went to Nan Hua Pri...shd b in sec school now.
For his case is naturally gifted in the academic area...other children in other areas..sports music. dance etc etc

[whysoserious]

Fair is foul and foul is fair.

I personally think all students should take part in the DSA screening tests anyway, regardless of whatever stream they are in, gep or not.
Gep does give the child more space and exposure to certain ways of learning at a younger age, but it isnt the key to greatness afterall. In the end, everyone just comes back to square one in secondary school. Seriously, their peers in sec school wouldnt really care about what PSLE score your had child attained or what stream they were in.

As for MO, i believe the method and period of training does help the child excel. But isn’t training part and parcel of giftedness? It equips you with the skill and knowledge, and i think the real talent is to link the skills with proper application in the math questions with ‘speed and accuracy’. Practice makes perfect, and even talents need training and practice to go further.

The DSA season is almost over anyway, so just relax on this topic and focus on doing well in PSLE. The rest can wait.

[edanson]

Ndhelparent :[quote]so just relax ... and continue sharing with one another here.[/quote]
Agree and sure :celebrate:

Oh yes, just a little more sharing for those who may not know :
[quote]On the other hand, there are lots of non-GEP kids with high ability and potential to excel but not given the opportunity. These are the kids who will lose out in such competition and even DSA. Is this fair competition? [/quote]My girl who is a non-GEP did not lose out either - she went through DSA and got in to her favourite school - top IP school in Singapore. Although she did not get in to GEP but she work hard and she top her school in PSLE and also break her school's PSLE record. So, I believe there is still fairness.

Actually, long ago, I already wanted to post my points about lots of misunderstanding that people had about GEP students and the 'unfair' opinion that some parents gave on GEP students ( they are quite poor thing too - lots of stress and yet lots of bad opinion about them ) but I was rather busy. Hope this time round my post will help to clearify some untrue believes.

So parents, please allow your child to try DSA if you think he/she has the potential and not just because he/she is a GEP or non-GEP student. DSA selection doesn't favour GEP students, they favour the child's results, performance,character, etc., etc..
(I do know of GEP students who did not get in through DSA too.)

REMEMBER - don't just listen to hear say and deprieve the child of the opportunity. Every child has the right! :celebrate:

[Fluffy]

I have a GEP son who graduated last year and a current non GEP Pri 5 daughter. Most parents who have GEP and Non-GEP children would have agreed that diligent is still paramount to success whether the child is in GEP or not. GEP curriculum is broader and deeper and I suspect the MOE GEP branch feels that these selected students are able to cope with the demands of the program. However, those with attitude and discipline problems end up like some parents had already mentioned with no confirmed DSA placing.


Parents’ support and encouragement are also very important. Both my children got into the 2nd round of NMOZ by attending private training and sheer hard work. Although my son is in GEP, he did not have any additional maths competition training in school. All students were given the option to pay for maths competition as enrichment program. There are a couple of students who did not attend any training at all but still did very well. These are the ones who self-motivate and willing to put in extra effort to learn by themselves through practice and practice on books. Of course, there are students whose parents could train them like a case of a boy whose mother is a maths expert.

I hope that there is less biasness toward GEP students and non GEP students. It does not mean that a GEP student is more intelligent than a non GEP or a non GEP student will not do better that a GEP student. Intelligence and giftedness plays only a minor factor to the performance of a student. Dilligence, discipline and right attitude is still a major contribution in any child’s success. The GEP curriculum does not help a child perform better in PSLE if the child does not put in effort as the program requires a child to have a good grasp of basis knowledge in the various subjects in order to follow up with the deeper learning and requirements of the workload and projects. In my children’s primary school, I have been observing in past years those students (GEP and non GEP) who possessed such positive characteristics had done well in academic and non academic discipline. In this sense, it just means EFFORTS = RESULTS.

[KSP65]

NdHelpParent:

Cheers :celebrate: Agree with Merlion.

But i think when the word \" unfair \" was used by some here ...i don't think they mean to mean really \"unfair\"...but simply = \" puzzling\" over the DSA entry req'mt...so just relax ... and continue sharing with one another here.

I have been following this forum and enjoying reading them. The very initial arguments started when somebody mentioned that the DSA selection was not fair. As some of the students from GEP do not need to go through GAT nor interviews and secured a confirmed place. Personally heard from RGS that most DSA places are offered to GEP students, not by GAT/interview, but because they are from GEP and with satisfactory school result! Would like to hear more views on this aspect only ..Is DSA more for GEP students only? Is it a fair selection?