All About GEP

[Fairy]

mathsparks:

Hi fairy,


I think some distinction is still made at lower sec.

At the briefings that I attended, GEP students in HCI are grouped under the iSparks consortium in Sec1/2 while in RI, they are grouped under the Raffles Academy. Only NUSH doesn't distinguish the kids from GEP and mainstream.

Not sure about other ip schools.

At HCI, all primary GEP students are grouped into ISparks. However, there are also many many students from primary mainstreamers in ISparks. In fact, the 'top' consortium in HCI is not ISparks, but Ortus! (inside info) Anyway, most GEP boys are at RI, so not many in HCI.

At RI, Raffles Academy(RA) is not GEP. RA is a 'gifted' programme for sec 3s & 4s. (not necc from primary GEP). Entrance is by selection, by subject only, based on extra-ordinary talent in that particular subject as spotted by teachers. Students must meet a minimum academic achievement at sec2, and convinced a panel of interviewers that he is worthy of the programme.

At RI, sec1 & 2, six of the classes would have both GEPers & mainstreamers. There is nothing to indicate that they are GEP classes. In fact, the word GEP is not used in RI. For every class of aprox 30, there will be around 5 mainstreamers. The rest of the classes are those who were admitted via Sports/Music DSA. Curriculum accross all the classes are the same.

[MdmKS]

Fairy:

At HCI, all primary GEP students are grouped into ISparks. However, there are also many many students from primary mainstreamers in ISparks. In fact, the 'top' consortium in HCI is not ISparks, but Ortus! (inside info) Anyway, most GEP boys are at RI, so not many in HCI.

What kind of students are in Ortus? if not GEPers, to make it top consortium? From what I know there are still a lot of GEP students choose to go HCI. For at least there quite a lot of GEP students choose to go HCI in my school last year when they were offered both. Are you saying RI has more ex-GEPers than that in HCI? Perhaps. Do you know have the figure?

[zen_mum]

Hi schellen and sashimi!

Wow, husband and wife team, very cool

sashimi:

zen_mum, I'm from the 3rd batch. You?

I was from the 2nd batch. So was DH. There were only 2 GEP schools then if I remember correctly. Talk about guinea pigs...

sashimi:

GEP is not for everyone. It certainly wasn't for me. I *know* I am smart, and I have valuable talents - unfortunately for me, they simply weren't the kind (academic, sciences, maths, blah blah) that the GEP (then anyway) valued. I suffered, simply because of that. Today many of my ex-classmates are doing great in life, they earn more than me, they fly higher than me. Some of them were even counseled by me back in school! (One thing though, almost all the high flyers went science, the arts pple have mostly ended up as teachers - but nothing new for Sg).

Ha, my DH has always said that he suffered tremendously then and till today insists the powers-that-be made a terrible mistake in the selection (usually when relatives ask him to coach their kids through the GEP screening tests ).

I have a number of classmates/juniors who pursued arts degree; most of them are teachers today who are greatly passionate about their job. Many more went into the various sciences though, hmm, probably because they were brilliant in math/science in the first place.
DH wanted to go to a liberal arts college, but was coerced to go to med school instead because most of his family are physicians. His insufferable parents were ready to disown him if he did not comply with their wishes.
As for me, I was not good at anything... Bad at math and science. Not very good with languages. The only thing I could do was argue very well! Not many choices left for a career...

My younger cousins who have gone through GEP tells me that their classmates have gone into hotel management, banking, food sciences, human resources, etc. And many are teachers. I love that

sashimi:

The GEP has probably changed a lot since the 1980s, so I make not judgments on the programme now.

You're right, it has changed a lot since our early guinea pig years. The focus in the curriculum is very different today, as I gather from my young relatives.

So, sashimi, I take it you're not \"celebrating 25 years of GEP\" hahahahaha.

[zen_mum]

vlim:

ha ha... poor thing...

I am not ex gep but my boy is currently in p4 gep ... while i would try not to give my boy the unnecessary pressure which you had experience.... Your relatives who ask you to coach their children for the screening tests definetly do not know what is the meaning of being 'gifted' ...

Hiya vlim
Your son is a lucky boy with a level-headed parent. Unlike some of my relatives... :roll: . You're right, they really don't understand what being gifted means, and clearly they don't get the whole rationale of the gifted program. Actually, I don't think they care all that much, since they view the GEP as just a stepping stone to better and greater things!

[smum]

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


Hi. I heard people mentioned about P3 or P4 screening. Can somebody advise what is these screening? And how is it done? Thanks.

[Merlion]

It is called the GEP screening test.


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=0

[wiimum]

Fairy:

At HCI, all primary GEP students are grouped into ISparks. However, there are also many many students from primary mainstreamers in ISparks. In fact, the 'top' consortium in HCI is not ISparks, but Ortus! (inside info) Anyway, most GEP boys are at RI, so not many in HCI.

But last year I was told Isparks is over-subscribed! That is mainstream pupils with high score have no chance of going to Isparks. Only a few who were previously selected into GEP but stayed on in mainstream schools up to P6 were admitted. So I am not sure if it is true most GEP boys are at RI.

[Zann]

wiimum:

Fairy:

At HCI, all primary GEP students are grouped into ISparks. However, there are also many many students from primary mainstreamers in ISparks. In fact, the 'top' consortium in HCI is not ISparks, but Ortus! (inside info) Anyway, most GEP boys are at RI, so not many in HCI.

But last year I was told Isparks is over-subscribed! That is mainstream pupils with high score have no chance of going to Isparks. Only a few who were previously selected into GEP but stayed on in mainstream schools up to P6 were admitted. So I am not sure if it is true most GEP boys are at RI.

How many GEP students actually went to NUSH last year?

[Puffer]

P3 students taking GEP screening this year are dragon babies. Considering this fact, do anyone know of the breakdown on the number of students and the estimate number (or percentage) to be selected for round 2, and ultimately how many percent get into GEP?

[watmekiasu]

As per MOE, for this year, 4000 students will be shortlisted for the 2nd round of the GEP Selection Test and 500 selected to join the P4 GEP classes.


Hope this helps.