All About GEP
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[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]
Hi all,
Any advice on whether to go in GEP?
I am a mother of 4 , my 2nd son is selected for GEP. And I'm working.
Still thinking of Y and N..... :?: -
I find this GEP thingy very sad.
Because of all the private training schools, the truly gifted children are being robbed of the opportunity by those "trained" children.
Quite sad to see the education system in Singapore becoming like this.
Sad Sad -
mulan:
...I am a mother of 4 , my 2nd son is selected for GEP. And I'm working...
If you think your son is indeed naturally gifted, and if he did not attend any special \"GEP Preparatory course\", then go for it. Given that you have 4 children, I daresay that you are unlikely able to provide the kind of support and attention that might be needed to help your son achieve the best of what he can be. This is exactly what the GEP is designed for. -
tamarind:
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx7Tqcr
Today there is an article about GEP preparation schools in the Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao. Some schools are charging $3000 for a 10 week session -
GEP.
Hot topic this week cos most parents of selected children will hand in the form tomorow. Note to parents: the last day of submission is 10th Nov Mon 5 pm.
My ds is selected for the GEP. What my DH and I did was to explain the pros and cons of going for the programme to our son. We also let him speak about his concerns. Then we tell him we will consider how he feels and we will make the final decision. After all he is only but 9 years old. What is important is that whether he takes up the challenge or not of the programme, he has to be happy learning.
Our society here puts too much emphasis on acedemics. We tend to forget life is a continuous process of learning. GEP or not, a child has to enjoy the learning process.
As parents, we have to weigh whether our child's learning style will be able to handle the programme. Getting into GEP is not about prestige and perks (ya it may come with it).
IF itz suitable, itz about giving our children an alternative enjoyable learning experience.
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Vanilla Cake:
Thanks for posting the article.
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx7Tqcrtamarind:
Today there is an article about GEP preparation schools in the Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao. Some schools are charging $3000 for a 10 week sessionks2me:
The Learning Lab requires the child to go through assessments before he/she will be offered a place. They select the best students. Why do the best students need extra lessons ? By logical deduction, is to get into the GEP.I just read the LianHe ZaoBao....is Learning Lab, Learning Point and Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning GEP Prep Schools? I don't think they are touting themselves as such. Can someone enlighten me?
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ChiefKiasu wrote:[quote]If you think your son is indeed naturally gifted, and if he did not attend any special \"GEP Preparatory course\", then go for it. Given that you have 4 children, I daresay that you are unlikely able to provide the kind of support and attention that might be needed to help your son achieve the best of what he can be. This is exactly what the GEP is designed for.[/quote]
I totally agreed with CKS.
How I wish I have discovered this website last year. My son is in the P4 GEP this year. He likes the programe and enjoying him very much. I am also very glad with myself that I am still survivng well. :lol: Not to scare off the GEP parents-to-be, your kids are able to tune them fairly well to the programe once they are in it.
But recently my son came back home and tell me that his teacher told them some of them are on the review list. I was so confusion initially, until today my son piano teacher told me that one of her P5 GEP student told her that his teacher told them that the school can transfer them back to the mainstream if they are being proved that they are not suitable for the programe. That means some of them could be the trained gifted and not the truly gifted that were \"accidentially\" being selected. :shock:
I believe the MOE are aware of this problem. So why worry...... be it in the GEP or not. End of the day still sit for PSLE same as all the other children. -
I believed GEP can be trained too
if you expose the child to the style of GEP questions, tune the mind to think along that line, sure do, can be done
versus other children who only see those GEP questions for the very first time in their life during the screening, I am sure those with prior exposure will flair much better
sort of like O level 10 years series. Practice the past year papers sufficiently, grasp the way questions are set, very hard to fail your exam, right?
Having say that, I don’t agree with the method of drilling the child with GEP questions. The child may pass the screening but end up struggling. Even more demoralising if he or she is ‘banish’ back to mainstream
However, to be fairer, I believe all students should be offered a sample set of questions to minimise the ‘shock’ when they see the style GEP questions -
Emelyn:
...Because of all the private training schools, the truly gifted children are being robbed of the opportunity by those \"trained\" children...
Emelyn, that's an interesting way of looking at it. It reminds me of the long argument I had years ago with a friend of mine who was also a scholar, over how the government should have a specific quota for scholarships for students from low-income families. He was against the idea, because he felt that a true meritocracy should judge purely on ability, and not diminished by the fact that the ability has been attained through exposure to the better education and experiences that the wealthy can \"buy\".
I can't fault his logic on pragmatic terms. -
ChiefKiasu:
Emelyn:
...Because of all the private training schools, the truly gifted children are being robbed of the opportunity by those \"trained\" children...
Emelyn, that's an interesting way of looking at it. It reminds me of the long argument I had years ago with a friend of mine who was also a scholar, over how the government should have a specific quota for scholarships for students from low-income families. He was against the idea, because he felt that a true meritocracy should judge purely on ability, and not diminished by the fact that the ability has been attained through exposure to the better education and experiences that the wealthy can \"buy\".
I can't fault his logic on pragmatic terms.
Actually I think that high income families can afford to send their children overseas, even without government scholarship. These students are also more likely to break the bond, if they are bored with the government job they are assigned to after they graduated. There have been cases where students break the bond, and their parents do not hesitate to pay back the government. Some students do not even return to Singapore.
So why not give more chances to students from low income families ? These students are less likely to break the bond, and more likely to serve the country. We will have an even larger pool of highly educated talent.
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