PM Lawrence Wong's NDR - Education Portions

[lee_yl]

@chenlaoshi Thank you for sharing.
What makes CCS so sure that by removing the 1% gep and to extend it to 10% HA kids to enjoy the HA program, the GEP prep class conducted by tuition/enrichment centres will go away? In fact, with the selection band widened from 1% to 10% (or higher), the demand for such “GEP-associated” enrichment classes will go up.

Will kiasu parents think that my kid used to have just 1% chance of getting into the prog but now since his chance of enjoying a revamped (HA) program has gone up to 10%, the investment is worthwhile?

Some might say the top 10% HA program is not a must, waste time. But just look at the number of kids attending expensive tuition at TLL, how many parents aren’t aiming for the top 10% IP places?

[lee_yl]

My younger child was from the GEP. It is a pity the program has to go because i witnessed how my DD2 blossomed after she got transferred to the gep centre. Prior to the that, from P1 to P3, she only had one friend. Under-stimulated and always bored in class.

40yrs since the start of the program, for various reasons, this group of cognitive diverse kids felt and will continue to feel miserable in the mainstream schools. Simply because their brains are wired differently. Without the gep program, these kids will still feel miserable Mon-Fri. It was true 40 years ago, and it will still be true tomorrow. Unless there are extensive test to identify them.

Some gifted kids I know off, can’t stop talking, some were asked them to keep story books aside during lesson time but they don’t adhere. Will their form teachers be biased against their ‘bad’ conduct and not picked to join the new HA program? My kid wasn’t even top 3 in her P3 class when she was selected. In fact due to sheer boredom in the class, she often “switched off”.

From what I read on ST, MOE observed that majority of those who got in to gep in recent years, went through some form of hothousing. Some gepper parents told me, compared to 10yrs ago, there seems to be a lot more foreign students being selected into gep. So to me, if the program has changed its nature and no longer meeting the original intention (aka 变质) and GEB probably has no better idea of how to deal with the hothousing, then I agree it is time for the program to go / get revamped.

[bbbay]

A do away with being politically correct view on previous GEP situation

https://youtu.be/6nzBOS0Tsm4?si=PsD4Mh166E_VaFtj

[chenlaoshi]

Today’s CNA article:

The Big Read: ‘Excuse me, are you gifted?’ A deeper look at gifted education and its relevance to society

[lee_yl]

@chenlaoshi Thanks for sharing.

Extracted from the article:

“ Several education experts and psychologists said that figuring out if a child is truly gifted can be difficult in some cases especially because gifted children are more likely to have neurodevelopmental conditions compared to their peers.

This phenomenon arises because profoundly high levels of intelligence stem from atypical neurological patterns and development.

Broad signs of neurodivergence include repetitive behaviours or tics, restricted interests, sensory sensitivities and attention difficulties.

Some gifted children might also display socio-emotional issues like having difficulty making friends or socialising with same-age peers, pointed out Dr Chow. “

I fully agree with what the education experts and psychologists have brought up. Hopefully, a standardized paper and pen test could be used to identify these students rather than to be based on observations of form teachers. Some gifted kids may even argue/challenge their teachers. Hopefully their form teachers aren’t biased against them as some of these gifted kids may appear rude/weird.

The entire revamp reminds me of E2K, a school enrichment program which my DD1 took during P4-P6. She would have her usual lessons in her mainstream school and after school ended, she would attend the once a week E2K Science program. I recall such program is highly sought after so I do not think that by replacing gep with HA prog, the intense competition to get into the prog will go away.

Some things I find highly ironical, there was a period of time when primary schools tried to do away with the top 2 classes and put all the kids in mixed ability classes in a bid to remove the stigma of being sorted into the last class. This measure helped parents reduce stress too as they often perceive that the best teachers are always assigned to the top 2 classes. So now schools help identify their own top students again? Should sort or don’t sort?

So maybe MP Denise Phua is right, just do away with all these sorting at P3. Anyway, the top 10% will be sorted into IP at PSLE.

End of the day, the biggest issue is simply because the program has the word “gifted”. Call it a neurodivergent program, see how many parents would still want to hothouse their kids to get into the program?

[bbbay]

Hmm…… the word Gifted, was the cause of the issue previously. Any tuition centre that has the word Gifted in its name will attract ambitious parents. MOE’s removal of the GEP will remove any tuition centres legit claimed of following official curriculum. Then those remaining tuition centres still calling themselves Gifted centres, over time, may start to sound too good to be true- when MOE does not even use the word Gifted anymore.

It’s all in the image the word conjure up in lots of parents’ mind. Now MOE is still able to offer such “stretch the students” courses even with a change of name. It’s the substance of the curriculum MOE is focusing on. So change of name will not affect the strategy.

[lee_yl]

@bbbay I remember DD2’s good friend in kindergarten quit the old sch to join a newly opened kindy named “Growing Up Gifted”.

Had the revamp come 10yrs earlier, that is, to rebrand its name and do away with “gifted”, maybe still got chance to save the gep program. MOE also never verify or stop some prep schools who claim that more than 50% or even 100% of their students got into the program after attending their gep prep classes. By now, all over SG can find these prep schools, it’s too late already.

Another thing is the perception by potential gep parents is that their children may have certain advantages over the mainstream kids if they get selected into the program. For example, enjoy smaller class sizes, more challenging curriculum, transfer into a branded Pri sch etc.

As long as parents have the perception that the new HA program gives their kids certain advantages, they will do whatever to get their kids in. I have shared before in the old ksp forum, for those aiming to DSA using Science, the E2K cert/experience would come in handy. If you get what I mean.

[bbbay]

@lee_yl

I was thinking along the line that all existing gifted brand centre will start to lose some of their appeal, after the rename of the program.

All the rest of the perceptions you pointed out, to me,
are secondary to the image of “gifted”. When “gifted” are gone, these other perceptions may not continue.

The revamp can reduce the problem it cannot eradicate. It’s still an improvement.

My 2 cents. I may be wrong

[MovieNight]

This post is deleted!

[doodbug]

@lee_yl I would argue that the GEP advantages, particularly in the past, were not just perceptions, but are real advantages. Do you recall the time when all GEP kids automatically qualify for EESIS for 6 years from Sec 1 to JC1, without having to achieve the same PSLE score as non-GEP kids to qualify for the EESIS?

In the same way, smaller class sizes is a real advantage, not perceived. Transferring to a popular/in-demand school is also a real outcome (whether this is an advantage of not depends on the individual).

I think the issue now is that the GEP programme in its current form, undoubtedly benefits 400 (?) kids a year, but it seems to be causing a disproportionate drive and upheaval among those who do not get in. There is a whole GEP preparation industry which has spawned. Perhaps it is another way society has to come to terms with that in a public schooling system, we cannot only look to have the system cater and adapt to us as individuals, but how we can adjust and adapt to the system. Parents who can afford to groom their proteges in sports or olympiads or what not, may take their children out of the schooling system to pursue other forms of talent development. Those who are not willing to, will have to adjust to what the system offers and make the best out of it. Most of us I guess, do not have kids that are that talented.