Is GEP really necessary?
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concern2:
I know! She'll choose her castle in France.
Chen, you want to join in the fun at the avatar thread? U also missing one, right? Curious what you'd choose 
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Edureach:
Woah! Why am I quoted? I hardly posted here! I know too little about today's GEP to make intelligent comment. The ONLY points I wrote in here were...Let me illustrate why there are some hidden values from the postings of 2ppaam, chenonceau and some others in this thread. I shall attempt to answer it from another perspective, stock investment and trading. These contributors hve mentioned ideas such as understand yourself, positioning, selection of battle ground, opportunities, training, preserverance, psychology, aptitude/attitude and accountability for one's decisions.
At this juncture, let me quote the following famed investors and trader in our modern era.
John Templeton: The price appreciation of a stock depends on the uptrend of its earning per share
Warren Buffet: In the shorterm, the price of a stock is determined by popular votes whereas in the longterm, its being determined by its intrisnic/franchise value.
Jessie Levimorre: Throughout my learning journey, its is the sitting that i found most difficult to master.
All of us will observe that when we turn on to cna, bloomsberg cnbc, mainstreamtream medias, we will come across analysts giving their assessment of a given stock and reading of the general mrkt and economy. All these are indeed value reporting, however, if one aspires to be a successful player on a sustainable basis in the long run, listening to all these suggestions will lead you to mediocre performance at best, worst scenario, disaster. Why? The mrkt trades 6-9 mths ahead of the economic condition therefore, the price of a stock may not reflex its realities down the road. Example- how often you see a stock which you think is fundamentally sound went against u and mths later you found that negative news emerged and vice versa. In short, analysts hve better info than u at least, their understanding of an impt stock especially a blue chip is much superior than men on the street ie retail players. The playing field is not even, let face it. The big boys hve access to top mgt of blue chip firms than ordinary people like us do not.
So how to we counter it. As retail players, we hve one major advantage, we can choose to define our playing field whereby big boys couldn't. Both 2ppaamm and chenonceau had outlined this fact in their postings. We can select a counter that's not on the radar screen of instituitions, of course a counter that demonstrates phenomental growth in terms of both revenue and profits. Examples counters in the past namely, HTL Int'l, Omni ind, venture, Hyflux, Ges, Sincere Watch, Rotary just to name some. All these counters had on certain yrs outperformed the best of the best blue chips listed on SGX. When we are really educated in this area, we know which stock to pick and just sit tight.
I hve learnt in my journey to listen to wise advices and also to discard away noises and i am still learning. That's just too much to learn. Thinking that yr position is fundamentally sound when the technical and price actions show otherwise is like one who sticks to his opinion thinking his is still the most superior.
All in all, we need to operate in wisdom to be successful whether as parents or our chosen field.
(1) We should not quibble about GEP's privileges.
(2) We should extend small classes to mainstream (... and give mainstream teachers better quality written resources)
(3) We should do something to ensure that the Us VS Them attitude doesn't get worse
(4) We should NOT do away with the GEP.
I am not sure I appreciate being cited to support views I don't subscribe to. Though... I really dunno what views you have because I haven't been following this thread properly. I read a few good posts (that Pam wrote) and some vitriol by some others, but I dun think I came across your posts when I pop in here twice a day for a short time. I also have trouble understanding your this post. Very cheem.
But man! I feel so lucky I logged on here just in time to ogle Nebbermind.
About Mainstreamers Now
I seriously think mainstreamers are deprived of basic good teaching.... at least in my son's school. I've been making a helluva lotta noise in other threads about the sufficiency of mainstream teaching and it ALSO HURTS when GEP parents go there to suan me because they dun understand that when I say basic teaching is lacking... it is REALLY lacking in some schools. We need smaller classes. We need better teaching materials and more of it.
I dun want an enriched curriculum that I have to use MY OWN GEP trained teaching skills to teach my son... and see him climb up from 28th position to 8th and then to 2nd. I dun wanna have to make my own language recordings blah blah blah...
And yes... it does hurt when some (largely absent from this thread) GEP or HAT parents from GEP schools come and tell me that I complain too much or am NOT contented. Keep whatever GEP has. I am happy that at least some people have a good experience. But understand also that there are those like my son, whose Chinese Teacher was so starved of teaching materials she asked the class to contribute their tuition materials for sharing. So yes... like TCK said... extend these basic necessities to mainstream too (25 per class and good materials to read and teach with).
I taught my son from GEP notes friends gave me. Without those notes, my son would probably still be bottom of the class because I won't allow tuition. -
limlim:
Ya.. wonder from which forest Dr ksi pluck it from.....[/quote]Your forest.... εζ :evil: :rotflmao:
Really. I wonder where Aaron got that nice maple leave that seemed sufficient to cover all his dignities.ChiefKiasu:
[quote=\"Nebbermind\"]
Now, talking about avatar....
Aunties, pls stop staring!!! :oops: -
Nebbermind:
:politebleah: Oh well... there goes GEP. :rotflmao:buds:
Is this a GEP question?
Not really....
It's a GEP selection test question!! :razz:
If I say I know Aaron has nipples can go thru? :please: -
jtoh:
Thank you sweet... :love: Actually, I wanted to ask for Petunia Pig (Porky Pig's gal friend) doing a karate chop... but the list got so long that I decided not to queue.
I know! She'll choose her castle in France.concern2:
Chen, you want to join in the fun at the avatar thread? U also missing one, right? Curious what you'd choose -
Chenonceau:
Thank you sweet... :love: Actually, I wanted to ask for Petunia Pig (Porky Pig's gal friend) doing a karate chop... but the list got so long that I decided not to queue.[/quote]Oh that would be cute.
I know! She'll choose her castle in France.jtoh:
[quote=\"concern2\"]
Chen, you want to join in the fun at the avatar thread? U also missing one, right? Curious what you'd choose Does Petunia stutter as well?
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ksi:
Nope! Like me... she is quite articulate... may I queue? :please: But where to get a pic of Petunia Pig? She is so passΓ©e.
Oh that would be cute. Does Petunia stutter as well? -
I have said in my last posting that that would be my last post for this thread. I do not keep to my words - bad. Can't help it after reading such interesting stuff and was wondering how the opposite camp will react. So created this opposite view just for fun.
What I am posting below do not represent my views. It is purely an article for a good laugh. Those who cannot take jokes please do not read.
Just for Laugh.
It reminded of the Hermit Crab Syndrome after reading this thread.
From Wacki: http://en.wackipedia.org/waki/HermitCrab_mentality
HermitCrab mentality, sometimes referred to as crab in a shell, is a way of thinking best described by the phrase \"if I have managed to get it, donβt you take it from me.\" The metaphor refers to a crab removing slow moving snails from their shells and occupied it. When the snail demands for the return of the shell, the crab would resist at all cost.[1][2] The analogy in human behavior is that of a group that will attempt to \"glorify themselves to be perceived to be deserving\" (negate or diminish the importance of slower member who seek for equality), out of selfishness,[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 so that they can better contribute to society in future as tax payerβs money is used to fund their enrichment programme. 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 howlianness and conceitedness, sadly sometimes hearsay, misinformation and personal prejudices (from wonderful feeling of being recognized as GE kidsβ papa and mama). Instead of calling for these \"benefits\" to be retained for this 1%, the discussion should instead be to fight for all kids to have, for example, small class sizes. Just because some think small class sizes are deserving for GEP, is it right then to use tax payersβ money on GEP and call for them to continue with these \"privileges\" without any sign of concrete returns after all these years that can be documented statistically?
Some forumers here keep harping on the fact that GEP kids are really gifted, then so be it. Keep the name of GEP, all benefits remain intact, but do be prepared to fully pay for the extras at commercial rate, will the calls for continuation remain? I'm afraid the hermit 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 preserving a programme where there is not enough suitable candidates, just cos your kids mistakenly managed to get in. Again, no Hermit Crab Mentality, just cos you get fit in, suddenly, they are geniuses and inventors for the economy of Singapore. Many kids have and are suffering from GEP, as some parents have attested by pulling them out of the programme.
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 are truly gifted? Do not paint the entire group with the same brush, as if every single one of these kids is gifted.
Asking for abolishment of DSA for GEPers is definitely a step forward. 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. officially instead of through backdoors in the past. And there are even specialised schools for kids who weren't identified earlier. Every kid has a chance at DSA so why should additional privilege be given to GEPers. If a child doesn't have a niche that schools are looking for, then voila, there's still the PSLE route. Calls for continuation of DSA for GEPers is just the type of protectionist Hermit Crab Mentality of those who want more than their fair share. It's not that they think their kids will not get into the preferred schools through PSLE, it's just that they have no confidence to fight it out with other kids to get in through PSLE. Sad.
There is a worse scenario you know. Imagine if at its conception, it was decided that GEP kids remain with their mainstream class but attend extra lessons at their own cost. And it's additional work load for all these kids. These kids do not just take PSLE but all normal exams plus separate GEP exams to remain in the programme. Would you guys prefer that? As it is now, GEP kids are taught in separate smaller classes. And most gets DSA. GEP kids who got confirmation of their DSA take PSLE for fun as they receive their results by Sep. So please lah, can stop with the Hermit Crab Mentality? Discuss as much as possible on how to make Singapore education better for ALL, but stop trying to glorify this 1%. -
Chenonceau:
swing by the Avatar thread and seek Dr Ksi, otherwise, she'll put on her Class Monitor hat and whip out her scalpel for going :offtopic: here :siam:
Nope! Like me... she is quite articulate... may I queue? :please: But where to get a pic of Petunia Pig? She is so passΓ©e.ksi:
Oh that would be cute. Does Petunia stutter as well?
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Chenonceau:
You can take my place in the queue.
Nope! Like me... she is quite articulate... may I queue? :please: But where to get a pic of Petunia Pig? She is so passΓ©e.ksi:
Oh that would be cute. Does Petunia stutter as well?
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