Saturday, August 1, 2009
Gifted Education Programme
GEP gives some people the impression it breeds elitism, but it is just baseless accusations. People need to understand what exactly GEP is about. As MOE states, GEP is an academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3. It aims to help these students realise their talents in various academic areas and stretch their potential in these areas.
With this in mind, I feel that GEP is necessary and important. Without it, the talents of some students may be wasted. GEP needs to exist to help realise their potential and groom them to be the future leaders in their respective areas. It is also a prime example of a meritocracy educational system. If the students show that they have potential in their respective academic areas, they can then be introduced to a more in-depth curriculum that is able to bring out the best in them.
Let's return to the stereotypy of elitism that GEP students face. This is due to people thinking that GEP students are of a "higher class" than normal students, and have special privileges and treatments as compared to them. In addition, being in GEP also makes them eligible for some special programmes. This has bred jealousy in some people, resulting in this mindset.
Even I have this kind of mindset when I was in Primary School. Speaking from personal experience, I was actually eligible to join the GEP when I was Primary 3, having passed all the selection tests with flying colours. However, it was this particular mindset that, put in a bad way, screwed me up, and made me decide to decline the offer. This mindset remained in me until I managed to interact with some of the GEP students. I realised that they are not as what others put it. Granted, they tend to argue and debate about issues more often, and this made it a tad harder for mainstream students to interact with them. But that aside, they are actually similar to normal students like us. This sort of made me regret my previous decision, but I am lucky to make it to Hwa Chong today. But I digress.
My point is that the notion of GEP breeding elitism is not true. The programme is there simply to help students who have more academic talent to reach greater heights. Without this programme, their talent will just be wasted. Why not stretch it and put it to good use?
