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Opinions on Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:31 pm
by Zhuge
Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCMP

by NCMP Yee Jenn Jong


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Gifted education programme was implemented in 1984. Primary school GEP starts a child at primary 4 in one of 9 designated schools. Students are identified after nation-wide tests at primary 3.

Centralised secondary school GEP was scrapped in 2008 following low take-up, after the introduction of secondary schools’ IP.

I like MOE to consider scrapping centralised primary school GEP too. Currently, a nation-wide effort is required to identify just 1% of the cohort. With centralised GEP for secondary school scrapped, much resources are now spent on a small group of students in a programme that lasts only three years. Based on figures provided by MOE in a PQ last month, past 10 years’ performance of GEP students did not suggest that centralised GEP had generated better exam results at PSLE and at A levels.

We can continue differentiated learning to develop students with stronger learning abilities. In place of the current GEP, we can implement the following:

Encourage all schools to do their own subject-based accelerated learning.

Giftedness is often specific to subjects, as a child may be strong in one subject but average in others. Schools can have their own methods to identify students who are stronger in specific subjects and run accelerated learning for these students.

Further support can be given through the cluster system. Learning camps, workshops or talks involving special lecturers to challenge higher ability students can be organised by the cluster.

Schools can be supported by the GE Branch with learning resources distributed to them for use, or schools may prepare their own content. Selected teachers in all schools can be trained on how to guide students with stronger learning abilities.

We can spread accelerated learning across many schools. Parents not need transfer their child out to a gifted school at 9 years old. MOE wants to convince parents that every school is a good school. Separating gifted students into special schools undermines this message.

Retaining good students in their current schools provides better integration of children, so that students of all abilities can learn from one another in a natural and authentic environment. I hope MOE can consider this proposal.

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:47 am
by WeiHan
Sometimes, I wonder are people jealous that they always want to scrap GEP?

All countries that do well have some kind of GEP programme. Israel, USA, China, South Korea etc....they call it a different name.

Maybe, we can suggest to USA to scrap all the Ivy league universities, MIT, Caltech etc...so that the society becomes more equal?

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:06 am
by Zhuge
WeiHan wrote:Sometimes, I wonder are people jealous that they always want to scrap GEP?

All countries that do well have some kind of GEP programme. Israel, USA, China, South Korea etc....they call it a different name.

Maybe, we can suggest to USA to scrap all the Ivy league universities, MIT, Caltech etc...so that the society becomes more equal?
USA also have? Ivy league unis are not GEP u know. :wink:
i think there is nothing to be jealous about, but streaming at an early age is bad according to many
i am neutral on this :lol:

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:07 pm
by WeiHan
Zhuge wrote:
WeiHan wrote:Sometimes, I wonder are people jealous that they always want to scrap GEP?

All countries that do well have some kind of GEP programme. Israel, USA, China, South Korea etc....they call it a different name.

Maybe, we can suggest to USA to scrap all the Ivy league universities, MIT, Caltech etc...so that the society becomes more equal?
USA also have? Ivy league unis are not GEP u know. :wink:
i think there is nothing to be jealous about, but streaming at an early age is bad according to many
i am neutral on this :lol:
USA don't call it gifted education programme, theirs isn't official but they certainly have private schools that taught similarly with our gifted education programme.

It depends on the principles that we believe in. In this case, they are against streaming which gifted education is part of it. Do they believe in resources equally shared among all students and thus everybody receive similar education? Then some students will suffer because they can't catch up with the rest in the class while some will feel that the content taught in the class is too easy.

If gifted education programme is so bad, then no parents will enroll their kids in it and it will die off naturally. MOE can't force their kids into the programme if they don't want to. It breeds elitism, they accuse. that is why I mention Ivy leagues, it is elitism also abeit at an older age.

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:08 pm
by mother3
What is there to be jealous! GEP is very great meh ? If you
Want your kid go GEP ... Go la ....
Not necessary GEPpers got the best results in psle , A level ....
Who gain most ? The child ? The parents ? The tuition/ enrichment centre .
At age of 10..,, not plAying but assignments and tests .....
No wonder more and more children are seeking medical attention in
IMH ....
I believed that even MOE strap gEP ... It will some form of
Streaming .... And what you call elite ....
Btw I know of many parents and myself do not wish to enrol my
My son to enrol into gep though qualified ... To give them a healthy less stressful
Learning environment . And btw it is the parents who help / do the child projects and assignments .

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:59 pm
by naggo-nitemare
mother3 wrote:What is there to be jealous! GEP is very great meh ? If you
Want your kid go GEP ... Go la ....
Not necessary GEPpers got the best results in psle , A level ....
Who gain most ? The child ? The parents ? The tuition/ enrichment centre .
At age of 10..,, not plAying but assignments and tests .....
No wonder more and more children are seeking medical attention in
IMH ....
I believed that even MOE strap gEP ... It will some form of
Streaming .... And what you call elite ....
Btw I know of many parents and myself do not wish to enrol my
My son to enrol into gep though qualified ... To give them a healthy less stressful
Learning environment . And btw it is the parents who help / do the child projects and assignments .
My DS was from the gep. Before he joined the program, he was not contented in sch because he felt unstimulated. When he decided to join the gep, being top in psle n getting the best 'a' level results wasn't on his priority list at all. Being happy was. He never regretted his decision.

So do note that many gep kids do not aim to be top in psle, do not visit the IMH, do not like to be called elites and do not have kiasuparents doing their work. They simply want to pursue their interests in greater depth and at a faster pace with their peers. And thankfully, there are people in MOE who understand this simple fact. And I hope more people do too.

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:57 pm
by Interested
Edited

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:06 pm
by Interested
Edited

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:08 pm
by WeiHan
So in fact GEP is a better education which we should aim to give to more kids or even all kids and not scrap it.

Re: Singapore need to scrap Gifted Education Programme - NCM

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:19 pm
by Interested
:goodpost: naggo-mare,
Exactly! Not to go in GEP to compete in PSLE!