All About GEP

[zakashi]

tyeogh:

Nebbermind:

If we see gep as a reward or an award, we can add another 500 places and it's still not enough.

True. But this is kiasu parents what. We are exhibiting our kiasu traits by grabbing everything for our children

I agreed with you guys. Otherwise left only crumbs. We ought to get the big bite right.

[zakashi]

tyeogh:

If foreigners and PR can make up half our population, correspondingly there should be 250 foreigners and PR offered GEP. (Half of 500)


Depriving 250 citizen child a GEP education is a subject worthy of further discussion.

Wow! I never though of that. I am really surprised. Thanks for highlighting this issue. Better to do something now! Is there any thread for this?

[mother777]

ha ha ha… don’t panic dear.

To get into GEP, you must pass the 2 rounds of exam first.
Do you really believe foreigner kids are way better than citizen kids or something like that?
GEP as such does not reserve seats based on your nationality…it clearly filters out and selects a children who meet their giftedness criteria (well not sure what that is)…its just a platform to groom the academically able kids…

So don’t worry and support your kids…groom them well and lets hope they take up most of the places in GEP…

[ying2]

sushi88:

For discussion sake, I use the IQ test index.
If IQ > 130 is considered gifted, do you mean 129 can also be considered gifted? It is only 2 points from 131.

If >150 is considered exceptionally gifted, do you mean 149 also meets the mark of being exceptional?

Btw, this programme is for a different learning style. Nothing to do with less deserving, less successful. Success is in one's own hands.

Agree. Whether GEP or mainstream, they are just children with different learning style and need. One man's meat is another man's poison. MOE just to provide proper learning journey to suit their learning style respectively.

[tyeogh]

zakashi:

Wow! I never though of that. I am really surprised. Thanks for highlighting this issue. Better to do something now! Is there any thread for this?

zakashi, yes, there is a thread on GEP selection. Unfortunately, I am outnumbered by the foreigner parents there (What's new?). Come lend your voice

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=60810&start=720

[tyeogh]

mother777:

ha ha ha.. don't panic dear.

To get into GEP, you must pass the 2 rounds of exam first.
Do you really believe foreigner kids are way better than citizen kids or something like that?
GEP as such does not reserve seats based on your nationality..it clearly filters out and selects a children who meet their giftedness criteria (well not sure what that is)..its just a platform to groom the academically able kids..

So don't worry and support your kids..groom them well and lets hope they take up most of the places in GEP..

It's about ratios and numbers. How you interpret it depends on your personal situation. If you are a foreigner, of course you prefer no restrictions and you will make motherhood apple pie statements of how life is so lovely and GEP should not reserve seats based on nationality etc.

If you are a citizen and your child is just outside the 500, given the rapid foreigner influx, will you not feel shortchanged?

[mother777]

Well I am citizen…so my child is as affected as any one of the fellow citizen speaking up here.

From what I have read in this forum, GEP division are looking for a specific set of children to enter into the GEP program.

Lets assume all foreigners are barred from entering this exam, only citizens are allowed to take exam.
If only 250 kids qualify the selection critieria, then that years cohort will be of 250 students only… there is no way they will select the children who don’t qualify.

well these are just my humble thoughts…it was not my intension to create a controversy here…

Wish good luck to all the children who attempted GEP this year…am sure all did their best…

[raisintan]

tyeogh:

zakashi:

Wow! I never though of that. I am really surprised. Thanks for highlighting this issue. Better to do something now! Is there any thread for this?

zakashi, yes, there is a thread on GEP selection. Unfortunately, I am outnumbered by the foreigner parents there (What's new?). Come lend your voice

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=60810&start=720

How about writing to Straits Times forum to create awareness?

[tyeogh]

mother777:

Well I am citizen..so my child is as affected as any one of the fellow citizen speaking up here.

From what I have read in this forum, GEP division are looking for a specific set of children to enter into the GEP program.

Lets assume all foreigners are barred from entering this exam, only citizens are allowed to take exam.
If only 250 kids qualify the selection critieria, then that years cohort will be of 250 students only.. there is no way they will select the children who don't qualify.

well these are just my humble thoughts..it was not my intension to create a controversy here..

Wish good luck to all the children who attempted GEP this year..am sure all did their best..

Suppose for borderline cases, the entry score is just 1 mark apart. Are you going to say someone who missed 1 question is not gifted whereas the person who scored 1 more correct question is? We are talking about 9 years old kids. Maybe she looked up at the ceiling and missed 1 question - and becomes ungifted??

I am not disagreeing with what you are saying. I am saying someone should look into expanding GEP to 1,000 places instead. Our systems need to catch up with the foreigner growth, much like the MRT and bus networks. But some one needs to raise the issue.

[tyeogh]

raisintan:

How about writing to Straits Times forum to create awareness?

You or me write?