2009 GEP Screening And Selection

[atutor2001]

About 50%

[glchua]

david59:

I have this GEP P6 student in my centre. During study time, he would rather help other P6 students with their works than doing centre's assessment work. Not because he is proud but bcos he needs more challenging things to do. So, I try my best to find him more difficult qns. to do as they are no assessment books catered for GEP students in the market as far as I know.
Like I say about my centre's P1 kid who is doing P3 maths. I will only let him do if he wants to. Can you imagine letting him keep on doing copy upon copy of P1 Maths. He would probably freak out. :!: :stupid: :?:

I guess for cases like this, there is probably no choice but to keep him interested with more difficult questions.

But why did his parents send him to a learning centre in the first place?

My point is that kids like this may be better off doing things extra-curricular in their free time.

For example, research into a subject that the kid is interested in. Electronics projects, physics exploration, robotics project, computer programming, biology and chemistry even. Obviously the kid will need to learn a subject in more depth to do such work, but most importantly, time is spent tinkering with things, coming up with solutions etc, not finding answers in which the answer is already there in the back of the book.

In my field, I had seen people with lesser academic credentials achieving much more in their research than people who scored As. These people has no fear of giving \"wrong\" answers and have less respect for the status quo. I, myself, am still unlearning my learning.

I had a colleague once. He had studied overseas almost the whole of his life. He tinkered with many things from young in his free time (he is still tinkering with things now). He probably has a lot of free time because his parents were not there with him! Anyway, his solutions to problems are remarkable and it takes some leap of faith at times to find such solutions. He is definitely smart, but most importantly, he is able to explore, a skill he had learnt since young.

By the way, many eminent scientists were bored kids that burnt down garden sheds, fixed radios and hang out in the woods often.

Academic knowledge should be viewed as a tool, not as an end in itself. Focusing on grades and exams and using the \"gift\" to generate good grades and jump ahead is I think, a waste of the \"gift\".

[Puffer]

If you have a kid whom you think is ‘gifted’ i.e. has the hunger to read, finds the class lessons boring, learns quickly, good memory and reasoning abilities etc. How are you going to provide a proper guidance and nurturing? Will the GEP be ‘ideal’ (if he gets into the programme, that is)? Is paying huge sums of tuition fees for him to learn more at those so-called very good enrichment centres do any good?


I’ve been searching for an option for my DS1 - I feel he is a Science guy who has flair in Maths and Science, but just covering the school syllabi won’t satisfy his desire. He is very quick to pinpoint adults’ mistakes,and thinks alot (and therefore worry too much too!) Also, he’s very impatient when it comes to writing - that explains his tardy handwriting, which I’m growing to accept it as ‘doctors’ handwriting’ now.

[MdmKS]

justbehappy:

MdmKS:

Butthen why mainstream students need 262 and above to offer EESIS while they don't need to? This is something which many feel unfair for the mainstream students.

EESIS COP may be higher, in 2007 it was 264. Anyway, agree that this is unfair to mainstream students .. it's strange why GEP students do not have to satisfy this reqmt, I wonder how many % of the GEP actually get below the EESIS COP, anyone has statistics?

Mainstream students who are talented in sport or other domains and offered DSA are not given EESIS to subsidise them at IP independent schools if they do not meet the COP for their PSLE T-score.

[glchua]

justbehappy:

MdmKS:

Butthen why mainstream students need 262 and above to offer EESIS while they don't need to? This is something which many feel unfair for the mainstream students.

EESIS COP may be higher, in 2007 it was 264. Anyway, agree that this is unfair to mainstream students .. it's strange why GEP students do not have to satisfy this reqmt, I wonder how many % of the GEP actually get below the EESIS COP, anyone has statistics?

I know that one top school accept GEP students that are way below their COP.

If we felt a student is gifted, and had an alternative program for them, then I think it is wrong to judge them based on their PSLE score alone. That would defeat the purpose of the program in the first place.

Exam scores mean very little. Even international exams. For example, I had seen so many extremely high scorers of TOEFL that can't even write a proper sentence of English.

[justbehappy]

glchua:

justbehappy:

[quote=\"MdmKS\"]Butthen why mainstream students need 262 and above to offer EESIS while they don't need to? This is something which many feel unfair for the mainstream students.

EESIS COP may be higher, in 2007 it was 264. Anyway, agree that this is unfair to mainstream students .. it's strange why GEP students do not have to satisfy this reqmt, I wonder how many % of the GEP actually get below the EESIS COP, anyone has statistics?

I know that one top school accept GEP students that are way below their COP.

If we felt a student is gifted, and had an alternative program for them, then I think it is wrong to judge them based on their PSLE score alone. That would defeat the purpose of the program in the first place.

Exam scores mean very little. Even international exams. For example, I had seen so many extremely high scorers of TOEFL that can't even write a proper sentence of English.[/quote]My point is not about GEP students being accepted below the school's COP. It is common for both GEP and mainstream students being accepted into Top secondary schools for scoring far below the schools' COP, either through DSA or appeal. I was talking about the EESIS, which means a GEP who scores 240 can save $200 per month of school fees at independent schools. With this discrepancy in EESIS for GEP and mainstream, I won't be surprised if some far-sighted and \"calculative\" parents would invest $$ to get their children into GEP, as they could save $$ eventually, even if their kids score mediocre score in the PSLE.

[atutor2001]

justbehappy:

...I was talking about the EESIS, which means a GEP who scores 240 can save $200 per month of school fees at independent schools. With this discrepancy in EESIS for GEP and mainstream, I won't be surprised if some far-sighted and \"calculative\" parents would invest $$ to get their children into GEP, as they could save $$ eventually, even if their kids score mediocre score in the PSLE.

Good point. Unfortunately there was no KS parent forum during my kids' time. Otherwise I sure try my best to get them to GEP - 1 year's saving is $2400, 6 years will be $14,400. 3 kids will be $43,200 Wow!

[turquoise]

MdmKS:

justbehappy:

[quote=\"MdmKS\"]Butthen why mainstream students need 262 and above to offer EESIS while they don't need to? This is something which many feel unfair for the mainstream students.

EESIS COP may be higher, in 2007 it was 264. Anyway, agree that this is unfair to mainstream students .. it's strange why GEP students do not have to satisfy this reqmt, I wonder how many % of the GEP actually get below the EESIS COP, anyone has statistics?

Mainstream students who are talented in sport or other domains and offered DSA are not given EESIS to subsidise them at IP independent schools if they do not meet the COP for their PSLE T-score.[/quote]Students accepted through Sports DSA have subsidies too. I know because my friend's child enjoys this at an IP school.

[MdmKS]

turquoise:

Students accepted through Sports DSA have subsidies too. I know because my friend's child enjoys this at an IP school.

All of them? At all top IP Indep schools? Same amt as EESIS? How about the others DSA mainstreamers?

[Fairy]

david59:

glchua:

Even if a kid is capable of studying at a higher level, what is the point of studying ahead? Wouldn't the time be better spent doing other things, like experimentation and play?


Unless of course, the sole aim in life is just to get a few pieces of paper.

I think it is not a question of trying to be ahead that is an issue. Rather it is whether the kid has an insatiable urge and desire to acquire more knowledge for a particular subject or interest/ skill. It would be wrong to stifle such kids. Another alternative would be to send such kids besides the normal school curriculum to specialise institutions like the Polytechnic or Uni to advance their quest for greater knowledge or skills.

There's a difference between having an insatiable urge and desire to acquire more knowledge and the competitive urge to stay on top of the cohort by learning ahead. By learning ahead, one attempts to study one or few levels higher than his cohort for the purpose of staying on top/being there first or simply, not to lose out. By acquiring knowledge based on the motivation & passion, one looks into the depth and breath of the areas of interest - the knowledge gained will most likely not be tested in an examination, even for the next few levels up. Purpose is just for self satisfaction. A few years back, I've heard of a pri school boy (a GEPer) who has a passion for 'gem' stones. Besides collecting them, he reads up on the topic and could rattle on about the various stones. This is an example of an insatiable urge to acquire knowledge out of interest.