Is GEP really necessary?

[2ppaamm]

PiggyLalala:

2ppaamm:

[quote=\"PiggyLalala\"]

However, for me, I am very appreciative because with the teachers' feedback and comments, my boys can improve his work after each draft. I thought that was something positive in the GE program. However, on the other hand, because of the higher standard and the time spent in improving each piece of work, the pupils have lesser drilling time for PSLE.

Ok, help me understand this. Prior to the drafts, were the kids guided on how they should write for these? If so, how were they guided?

Yes, for English. For example, in one of the performance task, I believed that the teacher and the pupils have a discussion in class on the topic. The pupils then have to plan and write down their thoughts on the piece of information report planning sheet. On my son's report planning sheet, I saw a mind map with the different branches of subheadings and one or two pointers under each subheadings. I would say that my ds has a good and hardworking English teacher.

Btw, the GEP unit has made some changes to the program, especially on the topics for the SS portfolios and science. I feel that some of the changes are good but some are NOT. Somehow, I think the GE unit, do listen and make changes based on the teachers' feedback and maybe on the parents' feedback too. But sad to say, not all changes are good. :sad:[/quote]Oops, so sorry, I missed this post. I asked a question and didn't see the answer. :slapshead:

I think it is good that the teachers do guide them, and in my opinion, a maximum of one draft is enough. Otherwise, the child goes to teacher, teacher input, child goes back, change and then comes back. It will become the teacher's work. In the end, we have a bunch of students who are trained to second guess their teachers rather than confidently put their views and points across.

Curious to know what new changes are made to the program? Having said all these, I feel that the GEB does look after the GEP kids a lot more than MOE looks after the mainstreamers, and they should! However, I also feel that so much resources is poured in, there is a bigger group that should benefit from that.

It is not just a small class size, the GEP student-teacher ratio is 10:1, while the mainstreamers is 30:1. See the difference? I have not put in the resources from GEB. I believe there is room to spread this across to a bigger base.

[Mychildren]

2ppaamm:

GEPpers at PSLE. If my son were to be sitting for PSLE this year (which he is supposed to), I'll make sure he performs. That's all, not buts, no ifs. If his results are not sterling, then he is not as good as another mainstreamer who did better. And, if I choose to ask him to focus on something else, resulting to him not performing, then it is a choice and not to be explained away. I shall have no other excuse, and neither does he. He shall then bear the consequences, including not getting into the school of his choice. We had a chance to pick our choice, and we shall bear the consequences of that choice.


If I don't teach him now about action and reaction, choices and consequences, I would have lost a fantastic opportunity.

Again, that's just me. I can fully understand how others won't agree or won't think so. I am a mother too. But you see, my sights have never been on PSLE, I don't want my children to let this exam impede their opportunities to learn and understand how the society will finally work for them. Every circumstance is a learning opportunity, we either use it, or lose it.

The caterpillar turning into a butterfly has been teaching us a very important lesson all our lives. If you help that caterpillar out of his struggle at the crucial stage of its transformation, it will not survive. I want to make sure my kids survive, and that's another reason temporal perks does not add on to us.

Those in blue sounds like what my DH said to me. :goodpost:

[2ppaamm]

2ppaamm:

Wah, another 2 days to test... Best to everyone who will be sitting for the GEP selection test. My son is not sitting as we see no purpose for him. For those who wish be successful, may your wishes come true! For those who will not get in, may better things come your way!

Just realized today is test day! Don't forget ok, those of you who have P3 children.

[jtoh]

2ppaamm:

It is not just a small class size, the GEP student-teacher ratio is 10:1, while the mainstreamers is 30:1. See the difference? I have not put in the resources from GEB. I believe there is room to spread this across to a bigger base.

The GEP student:teacher ratio is 10:1? My dd never had that. It was around 23:1.

[Nebbermind]

jtoh:

2ppaamm:

It is not just a small class size, the GEP student-teacher ratio is 10:1, while the mainstreamers is 30:1. See the difference? I have not put in the resources from GEB. I believe there is room to spread this across to a bigger base.

The GEP student:teacher ratio is 10:1? My dd never had that. It was around 23:1.

I presume that is the overall ratio, like 4 subj teachers / 2 classes each level.

[2ppaamm]

jtoh:

2ppaamm:

It is not just a small class size, the GEP student-teacher ratio is 10:1, while the mainstreamers is 30:1. See the difference? I have not put in the resources from GEB. I believe there is room to spread this across to a bigger base.

The GEP student:teacher ratio is 10:1? My dd never had that. It was around 23:1.

Not class size. I took the number of students doing GEP and divide that by the number of teachers. Each class has more than 1 teacher. So roughly, a school with 6 classes of GEP (or 150 students) has about 15 GEP teachers, excluding principal and GEB. Ditto for the mainstreamers part, just add all the students and teachers, and then divide. Student-teacher ratio does not equate class size.

[tck]

Can't help but be reminded of the Crab Syndrome after reading this thread.


From Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality

Crab mentality, sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket, describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase \"if I can't have it, neither can you.\" The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs. Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab at each other in a useless \"king of the hill\" competition which prevents any from escaping and ensures their collective demise.[1][2] The analogy in human behavior is that of a group that will attempt to \"pull down\" (negate or diminish the importance of) any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy,[3] conspiracy or competitive feelings.

***************************

I think we can all agree that Singapore mainstream schooling isn't ideal, large class size, (arguably) worse teachers, one-size-fits-all curriculum etc. The government has seen it fit to bestow upon a small group of students an enriched curriculum coupled with significantly smaller class size. I think we all agree that every student (not just GEP kids) will benefit from a differentiated (not necessarily enriched) curriculum and small class sizes.

However, the vitriol seen in this thread smacks of envy and sadly sometimes hearsay, misinformation and personal prejudices (from bad experience with GE branch). Instead of calling for these \"benefits\" to be taken away from this 1%, the discussion should instead be to fight for all kids to have, for example, small class sizes. Just because most think small class sizes will never come to mainstreamers, is it right then to pour so much scorn on GEP and call for them to lose these \"privileges\"?

Some forumers here keep harping on the fact that GEP kids aren't really gifted, ONLY High-Ability. Then so be it. If GEP is renamed HAEP, but all benefits remain intact, will the calls for its disbandment remain? I'm afraid the crab mentality will still be there, whatever you call the rose.

Another topic that keeps coming up is that GEP kids are trained and hot-housed and so aren't really gifted. Again, giftedness is wide-ranging. For a few forumers here with PG kids, only PG is considered gifted. To them, only PG kids require intervention. How many PG/EG kids can there be in Singapore each year? Be realistic. Stop bashing a programme just cos your kid can't fit in. Again, no Crab Mentality, just cos others can fit in, suddenly, they are robots and mindless worker ants that are only fit to be administrators for the Singapore government. Many kids have and are benefiting from GEP, as some parents have attested to in this thread.

I believe GEP has cast the net wider in recent years and now offer more places than before, perhaps to take into account the possibility of kids having been trained/hothoused (instead of 1%, it's now 1.5%? I may be wrong). So more kids are getting into the programme and this wider net also minimizes the chance of missing out a truly gifted child. And honestly, seriously, how many percent of the 500 GEP kids each year do detractors truly think has been hothoused? Do not paint the entire group with the same brush, as if every single one of these kids has been hothoused.

Asking for abolishment of DSA is definitely a step backwards. It is precisely because PSLE had its flaws (requires kids to be good in all subjects and to be academically strong) that DSA was conceived. Now kids can go to their preferred schools via sports, arts, language, math etc. And there are even specialised schools for kids who weren't identified earlier. Every kid has a chance at DSA. If a child doesn't have a niche that schools are looking for, then voila, there's still the PSLE route. Calls for using only PSLE results is just the type of envious Crab Mentality of those who don't have a niche. It's not that they think their kids will get into the preferred schools through PSLE, it's just that they don't want these other kids to get in through DSA. Sad.

There is a worse scenario you know. Imagine if at its conception, it was decided that GEP kids will be grouped in one academy. And it's through-train for all these kids. These kids do not even need to take PSLE. Would you guys prefer that? As it is now, GEP kids are taught in mainstream schools. And not everyone gets DSA. GEP kids need to take PSLE too. So please lah, can stop with the Crab Mentality? Discuss as much as possible on how to make Singapore education better for ALL, but stop trying to pull down this 1%.

[keroppi]

:goodpost:

[Zann]

2ppaamm:

2ppaamm:

Wah, another 2 days to test... Best to everyone who will be sitting for the GEP selection test. My son is not sitting as we see no purpose for him. For those who wish be successful, may your wishes come true! For those who will not get in, may better things come your way!

Just realized today is test day! Don't forget ok, those of you who have P3 children.

Haha, my friend received the parent endorsement form earlier on and torn it into pieces... :evil:

[Nebbermind]

Sitting back and waiting for a response to tck!