Is GEP really necessary?

[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.

[PiggyLalala]

2ppaamm:

PiggyLalala:

However, for me, I am very appreciative because with the teachers' feedback and comments, my boys can improve his work after each draft. I thought that was something positive in the GE program. However, on the other hand, because of the higher standard and the time spent in improving each piece of work, the pupils have lesser drilling time for PSLE.

Ok, help me understand this. Prior to the drafts, were the kids guided on how they should write for these? If so, how were they guided?

Yes, for English. For example, in one of the performance task, I believed that the teacher and the pupils have a discussion in class on the topic. The pupils then have to plan and write down their thoughts on the piece of information report planning sheet. On my son's report planning sheet, I saw a mind map with the different branches of subheadings and one or two pointers under each subheadings. I would say that my ds has a good and hardworking English teacher.

Btw, the GEP unit has made some changes to the program, especially on the topics for the SS portfolios and science. I feel that some of the changes are good but some are NOT. Somehow, I think the GE unit, do listen and make changes based on the teachers' feedback and maybe on the parents' feedback too. But sad to say, not all changes are good. :sad:

[PiggyLalala]

[/color]

2ppaamm:

I am sure we are all grateful when given some opportunities. If we were to assume IQ is distributed equally among people of all social status, then for every GEP child whose IQ is higher than their parents', there is also another 99 less capable children with IQ higher than their parents'. They would need that EEIS or scholarship for the rest of their education more than the GEPers who are financially well off.

I think the EEIS that are given to the GEPpers who do not do so well in the PSLE will not deprive the mainstream pupils from getting it.
EEIS is for the top one-third of pupils who are going to the independent schools. ( so if there are 9000 pupils going to independent schools, then top 1/3 = 3000 pupils of those going to independent schools .) Hence, my interpretation, would be as long as pupils did well in PSLE and belong to the top one-third of those going to independent school, he qualifies for the EEIS. So the EEIS that was given to the GEppers who did not do so well, will not deprive another top students from getting it. Furthermore, it is not an entitlement to all Geppers who did not do well. The GE branch will also look into the child performance and attitude/behaviour in their 3 GE years.
The above is only my interpretation, please correct me if I am wrong.



Here is my next thought. I am totally for providing financial help. In fact, I don't agree to those independent school concept, it is like semi-government schools and private school wanna-be, I believe those schools should be free like government schools. But that is for another discussion. My suggestion is to provide scholarship based upon the PSLE results alone, and have the same standard for ALL students, not one for the GEPpers, and another for the non. Don't you think that would be much fairer to everyone? And, if the GEPper kid is smarter, he will get his scholarship anyway.

I am also against the independent schools. I think they are for the rich. With EEis the fee of $100+ per month is still expensive. Without EEis, it is even ridiculous, $300 X12 = $3600 per year. However, having say tt, there are fianancial schemes that students can apply but again not all families like to apply. They prefer to 靠自己。

You will be just as grateful, without people giving you the :roll: You see, in one case, you earned it on a level playing field. On another, it is some kind of entitlement. Which would people 服？

Most of the GEPpers earned DSA and EEis on a level field in the sense that they meet the COP of the sec sch tt they DSA to and also the EEis COP. To the minority who did not, i take it as a consolation prize to the poor kids who must be feeling very very lousy. Time is needed to heal the pain of such kids. That is the risk that every GEP parents need to bear when they decide the child to be in GEP.

[Melodies]

errr… I think EEIS is given to top 3% plse scorer for mainstream n not the top one-third of pupils in PSLE. overall, Top one third of pupil in ip schools only but majority filled up by geppers!!!