As a parent, you’ve probably wondered about ways to get your child into the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in Singapore. In fact, some of you might have even looked up whether it could be a possibility for your talented children.
For both local parents Mr Francis Tan and his wife, this became a reality when they found out that their son was identified as a ‘gifted student’ by this very programme.
To understand more about how to get into GEP in Singapore and how this couple raised a gifted son, theAsianparent reached out to Mr Tan who shared his inspiring story.
How To Get Into GEP In Singapore: Local Dad Shares Inspiring Personal Experience
Image source: iStock
Mr Francis Tan and his wife live a regular life. While his wife works as an account clerk, he is a technician and has an online business as a side hustle.
Much to their surprise, their son was selected to be in the GEP for his amazing musical talent. This came as an absolute “blessing” for the family since only 1% of children in the Singapore Primary School cohort get selected each year.
Francis’ son was selected when he was only 8-years-old during the 2008 GEP selection process. It was also at this age when his son picked up playing the flute on his own.
“As parent[s], we didn’t help him to hone his musical talent. He joined the concert band when he was in Secondary school,” Francis tells theAsianparent.
Raising A Musically Gifted Child In Singapore
At 13-years-old, Francis’ son also started to play the clarinet. Then at 14-years-old, he took playing the bass clarinet as well. Eventually, he began to play more instruments such as bass and electric guitars. All of which he picked up on his own.
Now that he is 20-years-old, Francis shares that his son continues to play in external bands, Audio Image and Wing Ensemble. He is also currently serving in the army and is expected to be released next year. He’s already got a place in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE).
“I always try to assure him that as long as he tries his best in everything he does, it’ll be good enough even if he doesn’t do well,” says Francis.
A Message To Other Parents
When asked about the advice he would give to other parents interested in learning how to get their child into GEP in Singapore, Francis says, “I just want parents to know kids from a humble background like us can still be nurtured by [themselves].
He makes sure to add, “They don’t have to go through so call brain training or costly external gifted program courses to get into Singapore GEP.”
Francis also advises parents never to praise their kids to the point that they’ll start to believe they cannot fail in whatever they do.
He says, “The kids need to know that they may not always do well in every subject they study and that’s OK.”
Mr Tan has also published his own book, “How To Raise A Gifted Toddler In Singapore”, which you can find here. If you get the book, you’re also supporting a good cause as he has pledged all the sales to proceed toward the Children’s Cancer Foundation.
Image source: iStock
How To Get Into GEP In Singapore: What Parents Need To Know
According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), you’ll need the following to get your child into GEP in Singapore:
- To participate, your child must be enrolled in a MOE primary school
- Your child’s school will inform you when the date for the GEP screening exercise will be
- Parents will have to indicate whether they consent to their child’s participation in the exercise
- If selected, your child will then receive a letter of invitation to join the GEP
Lead image source from Francis Tan.
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