Is GEP really necessary?
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Mommies n daddies,
Correct me if I m still in a dreaming state..
May I know what short cuts did MOE gave to the GEPpers? I really dun remember that GE branch telling us that by gg thru the 3 yrs gep program, my child will top psle. If they had, i will be the happiest mom in the world. There is really no promises to any programs in the world. All programs requires ggod efforts n hard work put in to achieve results that one desires. They have to work v hard to balance GEP's projects n mainstream subjects that is the ultimate route to PSLE. If there r any short cuts, I would love to know wat they r.. So far I see the program though can be stressful at times, but my child is enjoying the learning journey so far. At least he is not feeling bored in class like in the past. I just hope that this good feeling will continue on till P6
I m sure there r statistics kept by GE branch on GEPpers progress. Of course parents can question GE branch over theses stats but i dun seen majoority of parents taking such actions. I think if parents in singapore r requesting fir such ino n we r talking abt majority of the patents in singapore, MOE will have to do something abt it. But is such an act necessary? But wat I feel is that these kids r identified to provide them with a different learning environment which might enhanced their learning experience. Of course such experiences can still be achieve thru HA classes in all schs but what abt resources available to cater to so many schs. In the end, it still will create a mad rat race in ALL schs ...perhaps more jealousy among more parents!
No offense to parents who have kids that have learning disability, think of these kids in the way we think of GEPpers. If the education system is all abt fairness n equality, then all shd be in mainstream whether u r better or worse than average. Why the need to indentify different categories of kids so as to cater to their learning needs? Imagine working with a class of 20 kids with all great differences of learning abilities. How do parents want or expects sch or teacher to teach so that their child abilities is being enhanced on? I have been thru such a sysyem n hence seen many cases. There is no end to people's desires. Parents with smarter kids will hope their kids to be better enhance in their ability while there are parents whose child is weaker in learning expects sch to do more to help the child. In a perfect world where resources is abundant, it might be achievable but in almost everywhere in the world, it is not possible. In fact, my experiences n contacts with teachers from many parts of the world will say the same thing. Maybe if there r teachers who r parents here might wan to give their thoughts on this.
GEP is just option available to these group of indentified kids, but child n parents do have the choice of gg for it or not. I had seen quite a few cases of kids not gg for it in my child's ex sch. so it is not by force that they r selected n they must go for it.. If they cannot make it, they can jolly well drop back to main stream .. But yet when a child is identified as having learning disability, the might be rejected by normal mainstream sch, the heartaches n agony of some of these parents n their worries of their child future might not be imaginable to most others.
The part abt hothousing the kids, I can't agree more thAt it shd never happen at all. By hothousing, are we taking abt gep traning classes here? But I m skeptical abt the saying that most GEPpers got into to GEP thru hothousing. :skeptical: As far as i know for the kids i know personally that went into the program were never pre trained n in fact these parents of these kids like me dun even think that our children to get selected at all! Btw, these group of kids i knew r all from different schs. We let our kids go for the selection just for experience. Of course, though no high expectations, there are always room for a tiny fantasy of our child making it into the program. If child is really gifted, then lucky for that child then in a way cos whether he might pull thru or not depends on his development along the next 3 yrs still. If child is not, probably he might struggle, or maybe he might pull thru with more hothousing? 
But that is the parents' choice to have made their child go thru that unfair treatment, what can we do? Yet we cannot say u r not allowed to send your child for special pre GEP trainings. Send by all means cos it is your choice. Just have to hope for good endings that's all. Ultimately, it all abt making the choice.
I look at the GEP course a test of a child's maturity rather than just ability in math n eng. a child can be v good in both subjects, both if she or he is not muture enough or grown to be matured to handle stuff like managing stress n workload n also interpersonal skills, then they might not benefit much from the program then. As I guide my child thru projects since P1, our focus on not only on finishing the project but what we gain from the experience. Eg, when my child was doing the recent group project, I find that these kids r so lack of interpersonal skills which is impt in their future .. Projects can be done in an easy way if only they understand e need for good understanding n communication skills n not how well u write for your part .. Working parents who r involved in projects planning n administrations will probably understand the most in this aspect.
I just feel that GEP exist or not, the focus on Educating our children shd not be on academic excellence n IQ only, but more importantly their moral values n EQ.
Just my dreamy little thoughts.. -
2ppaamm:
Interesting to know. Is this a trend that is happening? What then, for the professionals who become SAHP? Would be hard for GEP educators to cope then. Haha! No wonder many choose to homeschool now!
Yeah, yeah. The funny thing is, many of the GEP parents are... ahem... don't want to mention. There are some folks who are so smart, but their kids are not in GEP. I know of Deans, professors, scientists, lawyers and all, their children find it hard to get into GEP. On the contrary, many other categories (not meaning not smart har... just different categories) manage to get their kids in these days. Very often, stay-at-home-mums. Not that stay-at-home-mums are not smart. Just that those professionals got no time to grill their kids lah. -
concern2:
I think the BIGGEST problem is in MOE GE branch kept emphasizing that this is the TOP 1% of the cohort.
Thanks for sharing, 2ppaamm.
The general perception is that as long as a particular group of people have been singled out from the mass through some sort of test, that group has to be special. And what more can be more 'prestigious' than to have it called a 'Gifted' programme? Just for that few years is a chance worth taking. Anyway, a parent wouldn't know if anything better or worse could come out of putting his/her child through it, would he? It is only on hindsight that one can tell whether it has been worth the while - and I am sure it differs from parent to parent.
If, from the political point of view, one or two such 'talents' have been spotted, perhaps, it would already be a success. Too bad the rest didn't make it. Too bad you didn't have sufficient 'training' to score well in PSLE like those in the mainstream. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors 
.
Frankly, I NEVER buy that!! Come PSLE, there'll be many doing better than the GEPs and going on to RI/HCI/NYGH/RGS and other good sec schools and continue to flourish there. Some late bloomers starts blooming even later. So how can be top 1% by just doing a selection test at P3??!!
Seriously, I won't call them 'special'...maybe 'privileged' coz they got selected thru a test for this prog. -
drickymummy:
Because of this DSA thing, some schools (maybe not RI/HCI level) do give a bye and CO to these kids for the fact that they r GEPPERS.Mommies n daddies,
Correct me if I m still in a dreaming state..
May I know what short cuts did MOE gave to the GEPpers?
Also, the T-score for GEP to get the EESIS is alot lower than mainstream.
Perhaps I shd not have use 'short cut'...'advantage' wld be better, ya? When I was typing, I was thinking like GEP can somehow cut queue....*LOL* -
For the benefit of all chosen for this programme, the actual number shld first be reduced to 200-250 pupils max. Undivided attention can than be given to the selected ones.
The above suggestion can help to significantly reduce those who are planning to attend the prep classes and may even ensure that more bona fide ones are chosen. -
Edureach:
...so that would be the top __ percent har? :? Getting more and more prestigious liao :rubhands:For the benefit of all chosen for this programme, the actual number shld first be reduced to 200-250 pupils max. Undivided attention can than be given to the selected ones.
The above suggestion can help to significantly reduce those who are planning to attend the prep classes and may even ensure that more bona fide ones are chosen. -
For application for scholarships, local and foreign uni places, top courses, interviews etc, there’s no column for one to fill in whether u are from gep or not neither do the interviewers ask.
So for those who are intending to send their kids for the prep prog, why not save the money and use it for overseas top unis later?
Let go because this prog is really not significant to long term academic success. -
concern2:
Its all in the parents' mind and perception. Nothing prestigious really.
...so that would be the top __ percent har? :? Getting more and more prestigious liao :rubhands:Edureach:
For the benefit of all chosen for this programme, the actual number shld first be reduced to 200-250 pupils max. Undivided attention can than be given to the selected ones.
The above suggestion can help to significantly reduce those who are planning to attend the prep classes and may even ensure that more bona fide ones are chosen. -
Edureach:
Its all in the parents' mind and perception. Nothing prestigious really.[/quote]Actually, true. When overseas, you say GEP. They say har? :siao:
...so that would be the top __ percent har? :? Getting more and more prestigious liao :rubhands:concern2:
[quote=\"Edureach\"]For the benefit of all chosen for this programme, the actual number shld first be reduced to 200-250 pupils max. Undivided attention can than be given to the selected ones.
The above suggestion can help to significantly reduce those who are planning to attend the prep classes and may even ensure that more bona fide ones are chosen.
You say I top XXX international exam or qualify for XXX top university with XXX scholarship, they say :udawoman: :udaman: So, yes. I'm just wondering what parents are doing these days, burning kids out at this rate. -
And really, forget about the GEP DSA. Nonsense!
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