Is GEP really necessary?

[Nebbermind]

Now that you mentioned it, ya, the s1 posting was different then. U select well before the exams and there wasn’t any t- score.


P.s. er…did someone delete a post?

[corneyAmber]

Melodies:

6 tuition is outdated now, some of them have 10 tuition (one for every language subject, two compo and two orals, 2 sciences and 2 maths with 1 based on syllabus and another for GEP ).


Estimated cost is $2.5K exuding music, dance, swimming, tennis, golf, taekwondo:yikes:

This level of tuition is system issue? :?

[tck]

Sun_2010:

Dnls_mum:

My kid does not attend GEP preparatory class. We did not help him prepare for DSA. He just go to GEP selection test, and take the DSA selection test and interview without any preparation assistance from us. My point is, if a person is truly good, you do not need to attend extra lessons to get into GEP. I know for NJC admittance via DSA is not based on performance in the test alone. There is a day camp where they observe the behaviors of the kids in group activities and then in the interview ask them why the do certain things. The school was looking for students with certain quality. But I don't know what specifically.

My son got into NJC via DSA, another one got into SJI via affiliated pri school. Both have people in the secondary school who got in there with better PSLE results then them, but they are doing better then some of these students now. My son in SJI hold leadership position in his core CCA, is a peer support leader and has been asked to take up leadership in his second CCA but declined as we agreed he has too much on his plate. A true leader is not trained from extra lessons or by rich parents. Such leadership positions is free for all and cannot be bought. Ie someone from a poor family can get it too.

Anyone who has done well in PSLE is not deprived of a place in a good secondary school. Why is someone from a poor family deprived of a place in a top secondary school? It cannot happen base on how the S1 posting exercise is done. Those with academically better results get placed first.

It is more like someone from a poor family not being able to do well because of issues at home. Then this person cannot go to a good secondary school. This has nothing to do with our education system, but rather our social issues. What do we have in place to help these children?

Having said all these, I agree that there is a social mobility issue and it is not equal opportunity for all like what some claim. But I do not agree that GEP or DSA affects social mobility. We have a bigger social problem then that, and education is but one of many aspects. In fact GEP ensures that a truly gifted child, irrespective of background and financial ability will be provided with a GEP education and perhaps break out of the poverty vicious cycle.

This thread is about whether GEP is necessary. My point is that social mobility has nothing to do with whether there is GEP or not.

Dnls_mom, nice points. :goodpost:
your kids are a examples of the current system which works. Your child is in the Gep with no preparation for it. But I assume you are rich enough to afford enrichments if there were a dire necessity, And both you and your DH are very well educated . But an assumption that your child got in mainly bcos of that is preposterous, isn't it ?

That is what I am saying, the system is not a total failure that it is being made out to be. It is not the best , has its flaws , improvements need to be made but the need and benefits are there.

Don't diss the system and ask for it to be uprooted just because it does not deliver a 100%

:goodpost: :goodpost:

[Nebbermind]

Dnls_mum:

Exactly why I encourage him to do it. Don't want him to end up looking like a softy nerd. Hehehe...... Also, physical exercise can help destress. Anyway it is good healthy fun
:offtopic: :imsorry:

Same same. Got my son to join a sport in upper primary although I think the school donch care if he has CCA or not.
Then for sec1, I told him he could choose the CO of his choice but he must join a uniform group (I actually approve of either school :evil: ) just to ensure he doesn't stay one dimensional.

[2ppaamm]

Nebbermind:

Now that you mentioned it, ya, the s1 posting was different then. U select well before the exams and there wasn't any t- score.


P.s. er...did someone delete a post?

Thought to myself... maybe people don't even want to read... why post? also a bit tired of fighting. If people want to see, they already would have seen. If not, talk till the cows come home also no use.

[buds]

I see...

[2ppaamm]

buds:

I see...

sure kena, wan, hor? no point fighting... hehehe.. he who thinks he will do fine will do just fine. I thought my kids were doing well too. Don't forget, my kids were doing very well in the Singapore system, and I had too much faith in it. Only if I had known and opened my eyes wider, I would not have been caught off guard... but that is bridge under water. Thank God for the alternate great outcome.

I chose to ignore what this person said. http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/gifted-education-programme-is-failure.html
and thought it will never happen to me.

[buds]

Yes… and your children are blessed to have the opportunity to have a go at it (alternative path)… for not every family can do that or can afford to do that. Hence why some or most of us hafta make do with what we have, what is given and what we can do to the best of our abilities. Rich or poor, how our kids turn out will be part of how we nurture them and how hard they can work to achieve what they want out of the systems in place and what they want in life in the future.


No one owes us a living.

[2ppaamm]

buds:

No one owes us a living.

Yes, I remember this everyday as I journey through finding paths for my children. I am thankful they made us stronger than ever. It is a system that does not care about destroying lives, and we refuse to be destroyed.

But I often recall those gifted faces I see in that place they wanted to banish us to. I remember how that mother kept assuring her GEP child he was gifted, and slowly allow them to strip him of them. To me, that is a sin. It also reminds me that many will have to go through that path, and now I know, there's no way I can stop them, because some parents will always allow that, thinking that is giving their children the best opportunities. I am no hero. I rest my case.

[buds]

As for the child prodigy, I truly feel for him and can feel for the parents as well. Like you, they never conformed to what they thought they couldn't have and because they can, they made the decision to go with their parental instinct (gut feel) thru all the research they've done and thru the highs and lows to get to the alternative path... and where he can feel accepted just simply being who he is and being able to pursue greater heights. Singapore has lost many of the truly gifted having made these kids go one big merry go round. I don't need to have gifted children to empathize with their journeys of parenthood, because simply... I'm a parent myself.


In actual fact, everyone of us will help our children pursue the best they can be no matter how or which route is taken to get there. Whether or not GEP was necessary in the first place, this route is already in place. Children who qualify and can maximize their potentials with this programme, great for them and for the rest of them/us... it doesn't mean life stops there. We just work at our mainstream pace and perhaps work a little harder... :grphug: