The GEP in Singapore is a programme that meets the needs of intellectually gifted pupils. Through a two-stage activity in Primary 3, students are selected for the GEP. The initiative will encourage a select group of pupils to enrol in Primary 4.
The GEP curriculum has been enhanced to better serve GEP students’ needs. The standard curriculum’s core areas are covered by the enriched curriculum, but they are expanded in both breadth and depth. The GEP programme teaches students how to conduct independent research and encourages them to investigate topics of their own choosing.
Through school-wide events, CCAs, and Values-in-Action (VIA) programmes, where they regularly learn, work, and play together, GEP students have abundant opportunities to interact with their schoolmates.
History of GEP
The programme was launched by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 1984, aiming to nurture intellectually gifted students. According to the government website, MOE is “committed to nurturing gifted individuals to their full potential for the fulfilment of self and the betterment of society.”
At first, only candidates who scored in the top 0.25 per cent on the selection examinations were considered for the programme. This proportion of qualified students has increased over time, and today the top 1 per cent of students can join the GEP.
The Screening Test and Selection Test, two rounds of exams based on verbal (English language), mathematical, and spatial ability, are used to weed out the select group of pupils.
If the GEP is not offered at the student’s present school, they will be transferred to one that is. GEP classes will be assigned to GEP students in GEP schools.
GEP students will follow a curriculum that is more demanding and in-depth than the standard curriculum during the programme. They use the notes that the GEP teachers have created in place of textbooks.
Additionally, research programs like the Individualized Research Studies (IRS), Innovation Program (IvP), or Future Problem-Solving are available for students (FPS).
Goals of the Singapore Gifted Education Programme
The GEP’s objectives are to:
- Increase intellectual depth and higher-order thinking.
- Encourage creative productivity.
- Form attitudes that support lifelong learning with autonomy.
- Raise ambitions for personal fulfilment and excellence.
- Establish a strong social consciousness and a dedication to helping the community and the country.
- Build moral character traits and leadership virtues.
Difference between GEP and the normal MOE syllabus
You might ask, “So what are gifted students learning? Do they learn different things from the main cohort?” To this, MOE states on its website that, “GEP pupils are given an enriched curriculum that is pitched to challenge and stretch them.
This enriched curriculum is built on the regular curriculum. The main advantage of the GEP is the differentiated curriculum that offers individualised enrichment and attention to the gifted pupil.”
To put it simply, if chosen for GEP, your child’s education will be customised to expand his or her academic potential to the fullest. His or her workload would be heavier as compared to the main cohort.
Singapore Gifted Education Programme Enrichment Model
Through an expanded curriculum, the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) curriculum is created to address the needs of intellectually gifted pupils. Learn about the enhancements made to the GEP curriculum.
Instead of accelerating learning, the GEP curriculum focuses on enrichment.
The standard curriculum serves as the foundation for the enhanced curriculum, which is differentiated into these 4 areas:
- Content enrichment
- Process enrichment
- Product enrichment
- Learning environment
1. Content enrichment
The GEP curriculum:
- Extends beyond the basic syllabus in depth and breadth.
- Covers more advanced topics where appropriate.
- Makes interdisciplinary connections.
- Encourages the investigation of real-life problems.
- Promotes the examination of affective issues in the various subject areas.
2. Process enrichment
The GEP curriculum:
- Develops higher-level thinking skills.
- Provides opportunities for discovery and experiential learning.
- Provides open-ended problem-solving.
- Teaches research skills for independent study.
- Uses varied teaching strategies to cater to different learning styles.
- Provides small group activities.
3. Product enrichment
The GEP curriculum:
- Encourages other forms of products beyond traditional assignments.
- Provides for creative expression.
- Reflects real-world variety.
- Promotes authentic learning.
4. Learning environment
The GEP curriculum:
- Provides a stimulating, supportive and learner-centred environment
- Supports risk-taking.
- Provides out-of-school learning experiences, for example, math trails and visits to parks and museums.
- Provides out-of-school extensions, for example, mentorship attachments in collaboration with tertiary institutions.
GEP Identification Exercise
There are two stages to the identifying process for the Gifted Education Program (GEP):
- Screening
- Selection
Stage 1: Screening of GEP in Singapore
So how are gifted students identified? In Primary 3, students are allowed to take the GEP Screening Test, which is the first selection test for the Gifted Education Programme and consists of two papers: English and Mathematics.
The following tests your child will take:
- English Language
- Mathematics
If your kid is selected for the next round of GEP identification, their school will let you know.
Stage 2: Selection
The second round of selection will be the GEP Selection Test. Only 4000 shortlisted Primary 3 students across the island will be allowed to take the second test, out of which about 500 will be chosen.
These students will then be notified by invitation that they have been selected for the Gifted Education Programme. Upon acceptance, pupils will be placed in GEP from Primary 4 to 6.
The following tests your child will take:
- English Language
- Mathematics
- General Ability
When Will GEP Screening Results Be Out?
If your kid is chosen for the Gifted Education Program (GEP), the school will send a letter inviting them to begin the programme in Primary 4. In the letter, you and your child will also receive an invitation to a GEP briefing.
Afterwards, the results of the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) school posting process will be made public, and you’ll receive a letter confirming your child’s school placement.
If you do not receive your child’s posting results, email the Gifted Education Branch (GEB) at moe gebr@moe.gov.sg.
You should head over to your child’s present school to pick up their report card as soon as you receive the posting results.
The GEP school for your child will mail you details on how to get ready for the Primary 4 school year.
Gifted Education Programme Schools
Image Source: iStock
The GEP is not offered in every school in Singapore. If students from non-GEP schools in Singapore desire to participate in the programme, they must transfer to a GEP school there.
As of 2008, nine primary schools have been implementing the Gifted Education Programme. These schools are:
- Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
- Catholic High School (Primary)
- Henry Park Primary School
- Nan Hua Primary School
- Nanyang Primary School
- Raffles Girls’ Primary School
- Rosyth School
- St. Hilda’s Primary School
- Tao Nan School
GEP in secondary schools has been phased out as of 2008. Most of these GEP schools evolved into IP schools with their own higher-ability student programs, which are now known as School-Based Gifted Education (SBGE).
Is There Any Way to Prepare My Child for the Election Tests of GEP in Singapore?
Unfortunately, no. In fact, MOE advises parents not to prepare their children for the tests and states that no educational materials, such as textbooks or assessment books, have been published to prepare students for the GEP selection tests.
If you think about it, if such materials existed, the selection process would not be reflective of whether students are actually academically gifted.
There are, however, preparation courses offered by private agencies which claim can help children get ready for the selection tests. Such courses do not come cheap, of course.
Some parents have paid up to $1,500 for an 8-hour long preparation course.
What Can I Do to Improve My Kid’s Chances of Being Accepted Into GEP in Singapore?
Only the top 1 per cent of applicants who pass the screening and selection tests are allowed to join the GEP, making admission difficult. Contrary to common assumption, which holds that GEP is primarily about intrinsic skill and intelligence, it is possible to prepare for the GEP in Singapore and raise your chances of admission to the programme.
Your child will do better on the tests if you help them prepare by exposing them to the kinds of questions that will be asked during the screening and selection process.
The majority of the questions call for logical reasoning, such as the ability to see patterns, rather than subject-matter expertise. Therefore, it is advisable to expose your child to comparable IQ tests before the screening test.
What Happens After Primary School for GEP Pupils?
When GEP primary school students graduate after PSLE, they can choose to pursue their studies in IP (Integrated Programme) schools which offer the School-based Gifted Education (SBGE) programmes.
These schools include ACSI, Dunman High School, Hwa Chong Institution (JC and High School Section), RGS, RI and NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.
Image source: iStock
What Singaporeans think of the GEP
However, the GEP also led to concerns about elitism and lack of integration with other peers. In response to this, MOE in 2007 stipulated that GEP students would spend half their curriculum time with non-GEP students, especially in non-core subjects like music, art, and physical education (PE).
So what do Singaporeans really think about GEP? There are parents who believe children should not be pressured by high and unrealistic expectations from their own parents about their academic abilities. On the flip side of the coin, there are “kiasu” parents who would pay exorbitant prices to push their children for GEP preparation courses.
A parent blogger who goes by the name of Valentine Cawley, felt that the GEP was “a great disappointment” to her child. According to her, her son told her that during the first two weeks of the programme which he attended at NUS High, he didn’t learn anything new except for “ONLY ONE fact that he didn’t already know”.
As Singaporean parents become more educated, we are now aware that giftedness can come in many forms, besides academic intelligence. Should we then continue to support and believe in such a MOE initiative, which is largely based on academic giftedness? Let us know what you think in the comments box below!
Meanwhile, watch this video for more on the GEP in Singapore:
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