Since its introduction in 1984, Singapore’s Gifted Education Programme (GEP) has provided a specialized curriculum for intellectually gifted students. Singapore’s gifted education program, offers a specialized curriculum for intellectually gifted students, but a couple of changes have been made to the GEP, designed to support higher ability learners across all primary school.
The changes are intended to provide greater inclusivity, flexibility, and customization for students with specific strengths, addressing the changing needs of today’s learners. Here’s what parents and students need to know about the key changes to the gifted education program and what it means for the future of education for higher ability students.
Schools Will Identify High-Ability Learners
A couple of years ago, the gifted education programme section process was entirely reliant on a centralized two-stage exercise. At the moment, previous research has identified higher ability learners within the student population, based on traditional measures, ensures that talented students are recognized early even if they don’t perform well under standardized test conditions.
Remember, The first stage of the selection test for Primary 3 students, which evaluates their English and mathematics capabilities, will remain. But the second stage, which includes additional English and mathematics tests as well as a general ability paper, will be scrapped.
More Customization for Students with Specific Strengths
The new model of the gifted education process emphasizes customization and recognizing that some students may be gifted in only one or two areas. For instance, a student who excels in English but is average in Mathematics can now participate in high-ability programs to lead to their strengths. This flexibility ensures that talent is nurtured where it exists rather than requiring students to meet a broad, generalized criteria.
The Bottom Line
It is quite easy to destroy the self-confidence of any child, more so when they are very able. Their experiences with their teachers, peers, and parents are essential, and it is in your best interest to look for the indicators which suggest that a difficult, unhappy or bored child has hidden talents.
Even though some people might assume it’s a blessing having a gifted child, the reality is that rapidly grasping what others can’t frequently leads to boredom, frustration, and inappropriate behavior.
Be sure to research more about the gifted education programme in Singapore, before you can finally get to enroll your child in any one of them.