Hi kiasu parents editors, I have sent you an online message a few weeks ago requesting to remove my post and if possible, all related comments and responses. The reason being, I have kindly shared my thoughts and experience with the program so as to provide a balanced view but it was met with skeptism and judgement, which is uncalled for. Please remove all my posts as soon as possible! Thank you.

Nebbermind:

Divergent 2:

If it turn out otherwise and the child didn't meet the requirements, how will the child's morale and self-esteem be affected if the child is viewed and treated as the \"weaker\" student in the class (when the child is happy and treated well as one of the top students while they were in ms)? How will the child be perceived by others, the peers, the teachers, the society or potential employer in future as a \"gep drop-out\" if they choose to return to mainstream?

Just got to see this.

I believe that why GEB emphasize the importance of emotional support from parents during the prog.
Anyway, if you have a very delicate and fragile kid, then you have to decide whether to work on it now or work on it 3 years down the road...don't tell me you prefer to go to a mediocre sec school if the results is good enough for, say, IP schools?

Hi
I mentioned before I am the more laid back type of parent. I am totally fine with whichever secondary school that they join to the best of their ability.

We can only guide and motivate them but they are the ones attending school and sitting for the exams. If they go to top-notch secondary schools, it will be another rat race to achieve and stay at the top. If they are motivated and want to be there, they have my support. If they do not want or not able to, they will have my love and full support as well.

fable:

jetsetter:

[quote=\"Divergent 2\"]
If it turn out otherwise and the child didn't meet the requirements, how will the child's morale and self-esteem be affected if the child is viewed and treated as the \"weaker\" student in the class (when the child is happy and treated well as one of the top students while they were in ms)? How will the child be perceived by others, the peers, the teachers, the society or potential employer in future as a \"gep drop-out\" if they choose to return to mainstream?

[/quote]Can I just jump in on the above highlighted point? There won't be a PRIMARY SCHOOL field/section in job application hardcopy nor e-forms given by both public and private organisations' HR. Put simply, you won't even get to fill in your stream, T-score, pr-school accolades, let alone \"I ever dropped out of GEP\", when you apply for a job next time. Recruiters look at your tertiary institution and course, relevant attachement/internship experience...Seriously, no one will care about your pri-sch achievements. You probably can put \"TKD black belt\" \"ABRSM Grade 8\" under hobbies and interests. Putting \"Nanyang Primary GEP, 4 A*\" in your job application form \"any other achievements\" section will only make the recruiter roll her eyes.[/quote]

Hi Jetsetter
I think you totally mis-read my intention. I agree with you that the primary education will not be an important factor in future employment. What I mean is the transfering of school from here and there, then go back, does not look good on records. Most importantly, I want to stress whether to enter the program or not need to be considered in a serious manner. I admit I may be overly worried because I am actually considering letting one of my child return to mainstream. Whether to remain or return is also not an easy decision.

By saying society as a whole, it is very real. Those who are not in the program will never understand the challenges that both child and parent face as gep group belongs to a minority. They would not understand that it is not a failure but a choice should they choose to return. The labelling and eye-rolling (on child and parent) is there even when the child joins the program. Do you think the labelling and eye-rolling will be gone if child return to ms?

suku:

Hi

Not everything is FOC. On the contrary, most of the extra enrichments need to pay. Maths olympiad lessons need to pay, even some CCAs need to pay. If stay in the ms school, may not have to pay for these. Plus pay high fees for the basic school bus alone. It is higher cost overall.

Thought that you picked a gep centre based on distance, so why has to \"pay high fees for the basic school bus\", unless the previous school is within walking distance? Besides, confusing to note that the extra enrichment need to be paid only in gep? Meaning that if attend similar enrichments in MS don't have to pay for these (really)? Anyway, just like sleepy said, \"MO in p6, paid $80 for dd1, free for dd2\", to have a feel in the quantum of cost. DD's enrichment was paid using Edusave which govies gives $200 per annum, so actually didn't remember we had to pay out of pocket.

Perhaps some will even claim tuition is much more expensive... that is probably true as tuition catered for ge syllabus are limited to certain centres, but then happy with average dd's average result, didn't go for that, so saved a tonne......, ironically heard some of these classes has non-ge students..... so it is really your choice lah...[/quote]

Hi
I don't know why there is a need for you to question me on these. I am simply responding to another forumer asking about the costs. I am giving my honest answer comparing the costs between the gep school and the previous ms school. In terms of distance the ms school is nearer. Even though the gep school is the nearest to where we stay, it is still a distance away, hence the huge increase in costs. As for extra things like MO training and CCAs, I am not comparing across different schools, only between their previous ms school and the gep school. Maybe other ms schools also charge, I don't know. I would not respond to any further comments on this point.

Orh! EVERYTHING FOC? Or only the school fees? what new learning methods? Heard that for science the teachers just throw kids into deep end and let them figure out how, where to dig for info to figure out answers. Sounds like my ex job actually![/quote]


Hi
Not everything is FOC. On the contrary, most of the extra enrichments need to pay. Maths olympiad lessons need to pay, even some CCAs need to pay. If stay in the ms school, may not have to pay for these. Plus pay high fees for the basic school bus alone. It is higher cost overall.

sleepy:

Picked the nearest gep center. Didn't do research. I would have preferred nygh since i have 2 girls and there's affiliation to secondary school. But dh refused to consider because he didn't want to battle the daily traffic. So nearest center lor

Same thougths as us, distance. Thought sap school where HCL is a must may also help up DS chinese. On hind sight, he ended up spending a lot of time in HCL just to keep up. May do better in a non-sap school where HCL is not a must, though the travelling distance to the non-sap school is longer.

Em:

Divergent, lol, it's my kid with grades dropping. She does shine brighter in one subject and I believe her basics are currently strong. If she were sent for tuition, am sure she'll come back with many lovely As. I get the feeling she's hitting the underachievement stage as stated in some of those gifted websites. So I should get DD to 'huat' huh?

lol..it depends on whether your DD will \"huat\" or she wants to \"bia\" (拼) or not. My DS kind of \"huat\" (actually really \"huat\" in terms of physical size, lol). DS needs some \"pushing\" but can grasp concepts quite fast. DD do better with more systematic guidance and structured style which she is not getting in gep.

fable:

Divergent 2:

kids are expected to already have strong foundation and know the basics. If not, the child is expected to do self-study and extra guidance from parents or tutors is expected.

Just to provide a different point of view: we never felt that we were expected to teach him or get a tutor for him. The teachers always say to approach them if or when the kids don't understand. So if he can't answer a question, or he doesn't understand the answer given, he will speak to his teacher who will usually spend a few minutes in class or during recess explaining it to him. For the record, my son doesn't have any tuition, and I don't teach him.

Hi fable
I hold the same view as well. My two kids did not have tuition and the teachers in the ms school were also approchable and do not push parents to guide. Every school have different approach. The gep school that they are in is as such and they term it a \"partnership\" i.e. parents play an important.

Depending on the proficiency level of each child, my DS do not have much issue except for the chinese. The occasional calls and fussing is still bearable. Hence my DD was in. As the proficiency level is not as high, the calls, the fussing and the stress on the parent gets amplified. Plus the \"threat\" of potentially dropping out. This is also something unexpected to me and came as a shock!

Do ask the school that you are keen, on their approach and really drill them on this, perhaps during the open house, and pick up all the naunce and the hidden messages.

sleepy:

I mentioned a few pages ago regarding attitude in gep. So far my experience with gep is very favourable.


Maybe I'm abit bochap so I usually ignore teachers comments if those were of no concerns to me eg late in submitting 活动本 or math worksheets.

I'm probably not the most obedient parent. So far none of the teachers ever called me up to complain.I only heard about their comments through kids and some I would tell kids to ignore, twice I wrote point by point rebuttal emails (once to English teacher and once to Math teacher) as I felt that they had wrong perception. Pretty effective. They really stopped nitpicking. Probably a case of misunderstanding so should clarify.

Hi
I am also generally a laid back and not kiasu type of parent but the gep school that they are in is very kiasu. Didn't do homework-call, projects not written up to standard-redo, call. Didn't meet baseline in test or SA-call, meeting, put student under \"close monitoring\".

Probably different school different approach. May I know where your child is? No misunderstanding lah. The teachers made their expectation of meeting baseline a must (only when kids don't meet, shocking!!) I only recently know that they said this to the children as well (that they'll be \"out of gep\" if don't meet), which I think is not healthy for them.

It is not just the attitude, it is whether the pace and the unstructured environment suites the child. The same child may be doing well in ms, have positive attitude but not doing as well in gep. Like I have been saying, a lot depends on the suitability and the passing of selection tests does not equal to a match.

Nebbermind:

Em:

Anyway still on fence. Waiting for the marketing talk this Sat.

I really donch think it's a marketing talk....it was actually quite frightening!!
But that's coz there will be a lot of unknowns (projects etc) mentioned and all these come with new demands.
But, I believe, most of the time, it's us parents who fear more than the kids coz it means we have to leave our comfort zone...it'll definitely take more time and energy even if your kids a HA and nebber had any problem will acad.
However, these kids are a lot more adaptable than we would have thought....most of them will enjoy the programme and also eventually do well in the PSLE. Only a handful will find it really tough...mostly coz they cannot adapt to the new learning methods, or have poor attitude, or just not interested...can be anything....or a combi since they are all different individuals.
Anyway, it's an enrichment prog and most importantly, IT\"S FREE!! Mai too liao!!

Hi Nebbermind
Haha...I was also attracted by the seemingly \"free\" enrichment program. A lot is still on the suitability and fit with the child. My DS has positive comments on these programs too. If the child is naturally strong or \"gifted\" in certain areas, the child will be further challenged and benefit. Got to do work lah, no free lunch.

The smaller class size was also a draw. It seems like more attention would be placed on each student. However, do think of this, the teacher teach the whole class with a pace and level that suites the majority. Do not expect the teacher to slow down or spend much time to provide the more structured teaching like in ms for just a handful of them.

If you gauge your child really has the potential and truly \"gifted\" in certain areas and not just academically good, it is \"mai too liao\", \"chiong ah\" & \"huat ah\". :imcool: