Is GEP really necessary?

[2ppaamm]

Nebbermind:

atutor2001:

My kids met many ACS, MGS & SCGS kids in top overseas universities. Not sure if wealth or parent being an alumni has any impact. Interestingly these kids are also very smart though their A level results are not perfect scores.

I would like to see it as an affluent kinda of thing...ie, you can afford to make more mistakes n not straddle by the burden that u need to get it right the 1st time.
Well, that's just one possibility.

And probably a very clever guess.

[Nebbermind]

2ppaamm:

Problem is, with so much resources poured into it, our gifted children are still not having any advantage in the world, or scored any stunning achievement as adults. Got to ask ourselves why.

Coz our system is too focus on intelligence, n not wisdom. Look at some of the remarks by our leaders :roll:
You can only go that far with intelligence!

[Mychildren]

Pam,


Should I say that we should expose our kids to as much as possible what's out there & guide them (but not bringing them) on these paths whereby these are their passions & love and not forcing them in achieving what we want out of them?

Feel that during my younger days, I still do not really know what I want to do when I grow up. Parents during my time also could not tell me much what's out there in the world for me to choose from.
I still feel that I like to be in the service line though I studied Engineering and later took up part time study in Business while I was working full time. In fact, it'll be good if my parents were able to give me some advise at that time so that I won't waste my years in the Engineering field.
But it did let me meet up with different kinds of people. To me, all my certificates are useless now as I'm now a homemaker.

Now I would not want to force my children to be the top but would rather let them choose the path they want to go. However, they must have the right value of life and learn to rely on God.

Time to :snooze: . Once again, I thanks all those who wrote here. At least I know that there are mothers around here whereby we can learn from each other. Also, the daddies too.

[violin_lover]

2ppaamm:

Problem is, with so much resources poured into it, our gifted children are still not having any advantage in the world, or scored any stunning achievement as adults. Got to ask ourselves why.

Pam, to score stunning achievements, I believe one needs to have passion....just like Thomas Edison, after hundreds (or even thousands) of failed experiment, then he arrived at one success.

In Singapore context, do we have the luxury to make so many failures first? Is it possible to do something great without even experience a single failure?

In addition, in my humble opinion, the current education environment here doesn't cultivate innovation and creative.
Even the professors in local university has to brainstorm a research topic for his PhD students here. While I was in the state, I tried to ask my prof. to help me think of a research topic, he just replied, 'Its your PhD thesis, not mine.'

Sorry for going side track......

[Mychildren]

And also who said need to be very rich to go oversea to study?

Like pam had mentioned there are scholarship. Also, can try study loan and pay back when you start working but I've not try yet.
My DH mentioned, if the child cannot think/wrong attitiude, oversea study can do more harm than good. He/She might mix up with wrong company and cannot even finish his/her studies there.
Scholarship just be careful those which need to sign bond tie you up unless that's what you want after your studies. One grandpa told me during his time, his friend's child commit sucide after finding that he cannot manage the course or don't like it. Don't ask me to verify it, it spoke out of his mouth and I heard it.
Ok, I not going to worry and leave my children to God.

[Chenonceau]

Just thinking aloud.


(1) Primary schools exhibit a very high variance in the quality they provide to students (i.e., different input).
(2) Children of poor families can be very bright (i.e., also different input)

If individual PSLE t-scores were adjusted in view of overall school performance, it would take away the unfair advantage given to kids with preferential access to resources (i.e., richer parents… better quality schools [these may not be branded ones]). Better schools giving better input (would deliver better overall results) and thus should bring DOWN the child’s t-score. Lousy schools giving almost no input (where everyone is likely to do badly) would bring UP the child’s t-score.

In this way, parents need not turn to tuition and intensive homeschooling to bridge the gap in the quality that some schools CANNOT MANAGE deliver. Schools become ACCOUNTABLE.

Ok… this is a strange idea right? But that is kinda how Harvard chooses its students (even though they don’t do it with an adjusted t-score) because there is a great diversity in USA schools and great variance in quality, that needs to accounted for. I am guessing that people will look at this idea and EXPLODE… and ask that those who don’t go to good quality primary schools stay contented with whatever their lot and be less kiasu. So… flame away.

I did say I’ve never quite fit in… I think strangely. I am surprised that many people here write about my "insights" when actually all my life I’ve always THOUGHT differently. They aren’t insights. It’s just weird thinking… that I cannot explain. And these thoughts come even if they cause me pain and loneliness.

Yup… flame away.

[Mychildren]

Chen,

I'm not the one, right? I've yet to quote your words.

[Chenonceau]

ruohoo97:

Hi, Chan, thanks for sharing, like Pam, you are another wonderful mum who generously shares your expertise. I am sure many here will benefit tremendously from your wisdom.

I like what you did, to respect a child, and his/her choice of life. :thankyou:

Yes... what will I gain if my kid goes to Harvard and never comes home to me afterwards because I tried to control every aspect of her life for the love of her... and SHE can't wait to throw off the yoke of Mother's Slavery? If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. She's my child. I have to let go so that she learns that she is truly my child.

I would step in if she decided to become a drug addict or a prostitute. Happily, we are nowhere near there.

I want her to be well taught. I think NUS teaches well. University Town is vibrant and spanking new. I can see and feel the spirit of inquiry. She'lI get a chance to go to France and Switzerland to study as part of her program. AND she comes home every weekend.

[Mychildren]

Maybe asking why I'm still awake. My 2nd DS still busy folding different kinds of aeroplanes. He's not as good as his eldest brother in studies because he cannot sit long to do his schoolwork. He cannot be drill but when comes to playthings, he can work for long hours......

Think this boy I need to think of alternative routes for him. Don't think he can survive under the Singapore educational system.... :sick:
Got to leave it to God at this moment. Gotta sleep :snooze:

[Nebbermind]

Mychildren:

Maybe asking why I'm still awake. My 2nd DS still busy folding different kinds of aeroplanes. He's not as good as his eldest brother in studies because he cannot sit long to do his schoolwork. He cannot be drill but when comes to playthings, he can work for long hours......

Think this boy I need to think of alternative routes for him. Don't think he can survive under the Singapore educational system.... :sick:
Got to leave it to God at this moment. Gotta sleep :snooze:

U only feel him cant survive coz u placed a time limit on him. Our system is unforgiving to late developers but we need not be that way.