A teacher friend of mine… was in the 3rd batch of GEP kids… after a couple of months… he decided to go back to his old school which is a mission school. Though he did not take up GEP, he is doing very well. In the course of his studies and research, he told me that statistics showed that the GEP kids are not the ones taking up all the outstanding scholarship or doing that fantastically well. In fact, the funds poured in for the GE prgm is questionable… he gave some statistics but I can’t remember. He said kind of wasting taxpayers money. I don’t normally like to tell people my kid is in GEP… it has lots of -ve things linked. Just see next week… the mainstreamers would say nasty things about the GEPers who don’t do well enough… yet there’s so many people wanting to go GEP… after getting in go to gifted stream tuition centres. It does not make sense at all…

Hi Tri-mum


3 Cheers to Yew Tee… you have got a fantastic new Principal… she has made many improvements… and I vote for Yew Tee too.

Those of you staying near Rosyth should go to Success Learning centre and find out… I was told many of the GEPers are there for the gifted stream classes… am sure some of them will share.


Many years ago, I was told that NYPS has outside vendor doing some number sense classes for the lower primary… my friend said that it was some form of preparation for GEP. Another friend said that if you send your child to Learning Lab from Pri 1 onwards… English and Math… apparently before the screening (don’t know which round) Learning Lab gives some other worksheets to help these kids to get into GEP. I was also told that almost all of these kids will clear round 1… and a high number clear round 2. Don’t know how true?

My neighbour girl is in p3 this year at NYPS… she didn’t get in… she asked my son what’s the paper all abt in Round 2… so my son just briefly told her. If NYPS or she sends child for training then why bother to ask, right? ACS - Barker & Junior - don’t think so… have a friend in Junior… the elder boy didn’t get in but the younger boy now in p4 got in. So don’t think ACS train. But I heard from Nan Hua friend that last year batch Nan Hua hired special teacher to give creative writing on weekly basis… teaching them vocabulary… phrases… and do weekly writing. Also the teacher got the kids to buy Terry Chew’s math olympiad books. Last year the children for the first 6 months did specially prepared maths and english worksheets… tons of homework… only for the top 2 classes. 13 got into GEP. this year heard they ask them to buy the Terry Chew book but they did not mark the books or go through in class. Heard ONLY 11 got in. I can only guess that all the work… perhaps did not yield the results… or maybe got the wrong type of worksheets… ha.ha.ha… got to learn from Rosyth eh?


AND another story from a friend from Tao Nan… she said that they heard from Tao Nan parents that those kids who went for Round 2 were asked to remember one question each. after they come out from the rounds, they were asked to tell the teacher the question (nbr pre-assigned) assigned to them. And they compiled it and process. My Rosyth friend also said the same… so… ???

My friend went with a potential customer of DOCTOR PEH ASSOCIATES to check out the place… she said wow… so impressive… Allen Peh apparently showed them several K1 / K2 kids IQ test results… before and after… AND they were there since K1… some only go in at P3 Round 2. He used to charge $2000+ for 10 hrs… My friend asked … any from NYPS (yes) … any from Nan Hua (the answer was no), any from Catholic High (yes… Gabriel Wong… last year top 2 national with score of 285). He did not show them anything else but said that that potential customer has to bring child for assessment. Apparently the potential customer went… given some general ability test… apparently he will accept the child if child has above 90 for maths… and he only trains those he thinks can make it. … maybe also good else parents throw money… the rich ones might blame him and spoil his name. Apparently high numbers got in. My friend said the potential customer said… she did not want to go… well I don’t know whether they went or not … whether successful or not.

Early this year… a friend called me and asked me to help her get her son into GEP… so I told the above story. Her story is kind of sad… her father in law is the one who wants it… apparently he is very rich and is very fed up that none of his grandchildren are in GEP and this youngest grandson HAS to GET INTO GEP! She was sending to DOCTOR PEH… but she did not call me to tell me whether son got in or not… aiyah… what a waste… else I will know how much she pays… whether effective or not… then I will share with all of you. If she calls me… I will share, ya?

Here’s what I was told by my Rosyth friend…


at start of pri 3, they had their own internal screening test… then the kids were asked to go to earlier (… hmmm must be afternoon session for the p3)… for extra on maths and english… can’t remember how many days a week… definitely each session was for an hour or so.

One of her acquaintances asked her … "do you know where to get Joe Cameron books?" She thought it was storybooks… later she found out that Rosyth also did IQ paper with the kids. Apparently she went to several bookshops and specialised bookshops just looking for Joe cameron IQ books… don’t know whether it works but looking at the nbr … probably… also this friend sends child to in-house vendor for the math olympiad training by RECMEL … went in before p3… don’t know how she did it. Both boys are in GEP. Both children were also at Learning Lab for gifted stream EL / Math / Science… in p6 year they were pulled out after Term 1… else Learning Lab will list child’s name on the board after PSLE results. My friend was also told that Success Learning Centre, next to Rosyth, also have gifted stream English… and these two boys are still there. They have been there since 2005.

If you have friends in Rosyth, perhaps they can tell you more…

"F" class is BEST… "E" is 2nd best… after that it is all average classes … so no worst class. Hope that helps. Hope they are not changing that next year.

Re Catholic High parents - my friend's son was top boy every year and son was stopped by other parents and grandparents to find out which tuition centre he goes too. When the boy said none.... they asked what did his mum did with him. Ha.ha.ha... Also Catholic High parents are allowed into the school ... and they hang out at the canteen to pick up the children. I was there with some friends recently... you can see parents waiting outside the staff room... probably to meet the teachers to clarify some details.


Last year and this year, some RGPS, NYPS & CHS GEP parents I know collate marks from friends from other centres... they compare what the other centres do. I know my friends do know most of the other centres top performing pupils marks.

So if you ask me who would top PSLE this year - basing on the above \"research done\" it does seem like it would be from Nanyang.... in terms of \"carrot being dangled\" and being very motivated to be top PSLE performer then from what I hear it could be a boy from Nan Hua... his sister was in a neighbourhood school and she was one of the top performers in her batch. But you'll never know till next wk :? Does it matter

For polished rice (i.e. normal white rice), the water measurement on rice cooker show for 1 cup, 2 cups… 4 cups… corresponding to the number cups of rice… e.g. if you measure 1 cup of polished rice, you pour in 1 cup of water… FOR BROWN RICE or UNPOLISHED RICE, you put in double the portion of water… 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water. Add olive oil (1 tablespoon) … add in one or two slices of ginger. You don’t need to soak the rice at all. A SIA steward taught me that years ago… and he used to have an organic food cafe at Novena Square… don’t know where he has gone now.


Hope that helps.

Personally I would prefer all project works and school work and homework be done during curriculum hours and in school… then my child can just take part in CCA and come home and have lots of time for whatever they would like to do… be it reading, music lesson, watch a good movie, play with neighbourhood friends, time just sitting there to dream… Then when in Secondary school it would be full day in school filled with all kinds of work and CCA and when they get back they still have homework etc. I believe kids should still be kids… they learn very good social skills… lifeskills thru play too.

To add to the earlier posting on the importance to take into consideration the PSLE year… and its preparation.


Catholic High finished about 2 wks prior to PSLE

Henry Park finished all the drilling and preparation 2 wks prior to PSLE.
Same for common test etc…

Rosyth - can’t remember what fren said but they had very good social studies notes to share with everyone of us.

RGPS - very ON … so no problem. Always on their toes else parents will be very concerned.

Nanyang - can’t remember but also very on the ball throughout the years.

NHPS - Last year we heard they did it till 2 days prior to PSLE and this year 3 days prior to PSLE.

According to friends who are teachers, they said there is a "peak" when they are drilled for PSLE… after that the kids go downhill. I would think teachers would know what to do… but I think parents would know their kids better and what’s best for your child.