Is GEP really necessary?

[Edureach]

2ppaamm



Thks for the link. All these KS Bull’s articles remind me of my ds’ journey in preparation for his A-levels exam last year.

[concern2]

Way2GO:

Nebbermind:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]

my old fleur eyes always misread it as 2ppm, which is pretty good for zero defect target

really? I misread it as 5ppaamm

dat nick can cause old flower eyes double vision wan
machiam her own name following her nick ard like a shadow lik dis
http://i45.tinypic.com/20kwx0i.jpg\">[/quote] :rotflmao: :rotflmao: I am slightly less visual. I read it as 2pm, then try to make a stutter and turn it into 2p-p a-a-m-m

[2ppaamm]

Edureach:

Intresting and very high quality debate btw 2ppaamm and FW. Good to read the constrasting arguments minus the fury tone.


2ppaamm is a respected academia but where exactly does FW come from? At this juncture, i am merely making an intelligent guess. He is a senior student and hails from NUS Bukit Timah campus and also travels to Kent Ridge for his concurrent master programme.

Of course i am not really confident that my above guess is correct.

Er... contrary to your post, I don't think the debate was high quality at all, and I don't even think it was a debate! I was merely putting across my views, and if don't agree, don't agree lor... why must ask me to justify everything? Talking to another generation is like talking in two different parallel planes, we can never meet. So I never bother. But at least, I have NEVER ever gotten this kind of disrespect from friends or strangers. I tried to avoid talking, if you see my previous post. But alas! I fell into the trap of talking too much, and responding too much.

This reminds me of talking to my own son, in his late teens and going into his postgrad years, he gets into topics I have absolutely no interest in and keeps asking me to further the discussion. Today, I told him I have absolutely no interest in finding out if it is possible for the whole earth to be flooded or just one part. He was shocked I was not curious for intellectual purposes, and I honestly am not. Just like I am not interested to know how my car operates even though I drive everyday. I only know I have to gas it up, and what I need to do to keep it driving.

Therein lies the problem of very smart youngsters, my own son included, who happens to be very humble btw, and by no way will he EVER talk to an elder like I was spoken to. DS puts everyone on the same plane as him, it takes maturity to understand that people are not the same. And that is the danger of putting homogeneous people together as well. They are in for a rude shock when they realize the diversity this world really is. It takes much more than just intellectual power to understand many intricate things, and maturity, I believe is wisdom and goes beyond intelligence or IQ. Many youngsters fail to realize that grey hair is even more valuable than grey matter. As such, I speak very little of my thoughts to youngsters, because it is better they learn themselves. It is easier to just tell, and harder to make them realize. But the latter always sticks better.

IQ plays such a small, small part when it comes to work and survival in this world. It takes a lot of humility, especially if people view you as superior in any form. Therefore, the more you are given, the more is ask of you.

:offtopic: Back to GEP. Having seen so many programs outside the country, I think there is a more efficient way of handling giftedness. As it is, the teachers in the program are no different from the mainstream from my personal observation, the program is nothing but an acceleration of what is learnt at higher level with no thought about individual giftedness or level of giftedness with no prize of working a level or two above their peers, the selection process is such that many skewed kids are left out, the branding creates an disillusionalizing bubble for the GEPpers, the unfair privileges accorded to the GEPpers causes dissent, the resources taken up by GEPpers is not justifiable, the way the teachers are treated by MOE is no different from other MOE teachers, with little empowerment. The only ONE thing I can think of for GEP is that kids make good friends, and have smaller class size. Something I believe should be accorded to different groups who will probably need it more. The privileges need to cease and everyone should be put of level playing field. The consequences is dire - more for those in GEP than those without. And, to conclude, remember, my kids are neither.

[keroppi]

jtoh:

:goodpost: toddles.

I agree. :goodpost:

[Imami]

ksi:

http://photos1.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP990/k10169050.jpg\">


Looks like time for some liang teh....

http://www.myemoticons.com/images/super-smileys/jumbo/sports/sports-fan-1.gif\">

人家气我，我不气
我若生气，就中计
喝喝凉茶，消消气
明天睡醒，全身力

This message is for EVERYONE and NOT ANYONE.

deja vu....

[Edureach]

2ppaamm


I do emphatise how you feel especially in the light of the heated exchange with someone who has not yet proven in the working world not withstanding his stellar academic grades.

I am also into the financial markets. No matter how well-informed or well trained, i hve learnt all these years that the market is bigger than me and i need to listen to the price actions of a counter which i hve a position. Thinking that one is supreme in his area of expertise will spell disaster. There’s always something for me to learn from someone.

Incidentally, i like what you earlier mentioned about at the top one is actually competing against himself. This idea is actually applicable in the context of trading and investing. Actually, you had reminded me of the numerous mistakes which i had made in my earlier years. To give you an example, i had researched a counter thoroughly after the dot com bubbles. I took an initial position and added on progressively as the price advanced as long as i knew that the counter was grossly undervalued by the market and the financial datas that showed the counter was making headways in its expansion even heading for uncharterd waters. All in all, i had accumulated a meaninful position over a 2-yr period but was taken out of the trade after paying attention to some adverse news regarding the broad market. In short, i failed to understand myself that i actually had a major winning position on hand as the counter advanced in price admist against the overall trend of the market. I cashed out at a good profit even knowing that the counter was still way undervalued vs-a vs its record earnings and fresh positon taken by a new instituition investor. All in i had left a 'big sum of money on the table that i could had easily financed my two children to do their undergrad studies overseas.


Looking back, i realised how folly i was.

[NickleBee Tutors]

If i may add my humblest of contribution to this most enlightening of discussions. The following flowchart shows why i feel that I would rather spend my time enhancing my academic knowledge or building my financial net worth than arguing online with strangers (whom we have absolutely no certain way of knowing if they are really who they claim to be).


http://poetmcgonagallsworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/so-if-youre-mad-about-something-on-the-internet.jpg?w=640&h=1460\">

Source : http://www.systemcomic.com/comics/2011-08-03-madaboutsomething.jpg

The above was posted as a form of comic relief, is directed at a general audience and does not in any way constitute a personal opinion on my part.

:siam:

[2ppaamm]

comfy:

2ppaamm:

With all the perks and privileges, if GEP continues to fail to produce students BETTER than mainstream, there is going to be further discrimination against GEPpers.....

the unwarranted privileges given to GEPpers.....

Hi 2ppaamm, may I know what are the perks and privileges that GEP have besides smaller ratio of teacher to student and DSA?

Hi Comfy, you might want to do some research around the GEP thread to get this answer, I won't be able to give you a complete list at this time, because I have to go sleep.

Till next year, everyone, Bye bye! :imanisland:

[2ppaamm]

NickleBee Tutors:

If i may add my humblest of contribution to this most enlightening of discussions. The following flowchart shows why i feel that I would rather spend my time enhancing my academic knowledge or building my financial net worth than arguing online with strangers (whom we have absolutely no certain way of knowing if they are really who they claim to be).


http://poetmcgonagallsworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/so-if-youre-mad-about-something-on-the-internet.jpg?w=640&h=1460\">

Source : http://www.systemcomic.com/comics/2011-08-03-madaboutsomething.jpg

The above was posted as a form of comic relief, is directed at a general audience and does not in any way constitute a personal opinion on my part.

:siam:

You are right! It is a waste of my precious time. I should have spent more time on that mayonaise recipe and get the taste more burstful. So now, I have :censored: all the posts that were misread. Now I know not everybody reads in details and in context. Better be more careful... :stupid: should have known earlier... wasted precious time. :wrongmove:

And, lots more recipes to work on this weekend, and lots of work till end of the year! Till a more interesting topic, everyone, :celebrate: :peekaboo: Bye bye!

[cherryc]

纪赟：新加坡小学教育的反思 Zaobao 17-8-2012


因为女儿逐渐接近上小学的年龄，最近我就与太太一起研究新加坡的小学制度。因为我俩都是在中国大陆接受从小学直到硕博士为止的全部教育，所以非常自然也会拿它与新加坡进行对比。在过去相当长的时间内，中国的教育颇为人诟病，而且往往会被贴上“应试教育”的不好标签。然而，我们在离开中国这个大环境后，反而得以以更加客观的态度，来看待过去被我们痛加贬斥的中国教育，甚至可以发现其中有大量被人们所忽视的优胜之处。

　　最近数年，欧美也开始认识到了中国式教育的巨大优势，比如奥巴马总统就曾经多次表达了对中国教育成功的赞叹，并以此来警告和鞭策美国的教育从业者。8月8日《联合早报》刊登薛涌教授的《美式教育理想为何越来越不着边际？》一文，也对美式教育提出了严厉的批评。如果说作为全世界技术革新尖兵的美国都在反思其教育体系，我们是不也应该反思一下新加坡的基础教育呢？

　　我们在了解了新加坡小学教育的体系之后，发现它存在比较严重的二元分裂。首先，可能由于新加坡主要还是受西方思想体系影响，更加强调小学孩童全面的发展，故而给他们留出了半天的空余时间，实际上却又实行甚至比中国小学更严苛的胜负排名与精英筛选机制，从小四开始就对学生不断分流，精英学校的选拔、快慢班的区别等等。这导致了虽然形式上小学生有半天的自由时间，却还是会被充斥全岛的各种家教或补习班征用，因为每一个学生都在这个无时不在运行的筛选机制的控制之下，很难让人获得喘息。这种学业压力甚至一直传导到整个家庭以及社会之中，并部分导致了“想赢怕输”社会人格的养成。

　　在这个意义上来看，新加坡小学教育机制比不上纯粹西方式的教育，可以给学生更多的快乐与自由时间支配，让他们获得其他方面的发展。很多家长就觉得新加坡的孩子压力非常大，当把他们转学到欧美时，感觉孩子就一下子放松下来了，变得快乐得多。新加坡小学教育机制也比不上中国大陆斯巴达式的全天教育，可以给学生一个从小开始的坚实教育基础。这种教育甚至从中国的幼稚园就已经全面展开。以我女儿为例，在来新加坡上幼稚园一年级之前，就已经会背上百首唐诗，二十以内加减法，能认一百多汉字，并且学过全部的英文字母。所以来到新加坡之后，除了英语口语不行外，就有着巨大的学习优势。这种情况我们也可从很多小学四、五年级从中国转学来新的孩子身上看到。

　　在学习上处于劣势，其实完全可以在今后的教育上得以弥补，而我更担心的一点却是，新加坡这样一种严格的小学精英筛选机制，会使一些开窍过晚的孩子由于分流过早，从而永远失去未来的机会。更有甚者，这种半天制再加上筛选的方式，还会加大社会分层。因为给孩子上各种补习班或请家教，会直接与父母的教育程度、收入情况、社会地位等相关，非常明显一些处在社会底层的人士，他们的子女很难获得更好的补充教育机会。

　　提出以上意见，不代表我否认新加坡教育的巨大优势。比起中国，本地英式教育更利于学生的国际化，并且非常透明的制度保障，也比中国要更为公平。我对自己女儿的教育并不担心，因为新加坡的教育总体而言更有利于培养精英，我和家人也有足够的精力与物质投入，可以保障她在未来的残酷竞争获得一席之地，然而我们是否能够指望每一个新加坡家庭，都能良好地面对并处理这样一种空前的压力呢？

　　一个成功的教育，并不仅仅只是层层筛选出以后管理我们这个社会的少数精英，而将其他众多人置于一旁去接受打过折扣的次一等教育——即使你给这个方式加上一个“因材施教”的堂皇招牌。教育应该是去尽量发挥每一个孩童最大的潜力，呵护改善并提高他们的能力与心智，并使他们成为真正能推动新加坡社会前进步伐的主人。