Singapore is one of the many countries that has a good quality of education. It has been the country’s national pride for how many years. One of the unique programs that Singapore has is the Gifted Education Programme or GEP. It is known for producing and developing students with high ability and high IQ. There are several GEP primary schools in Singapore that many moms want to enroll their child. But, first what is this program and why is it receiving positive praise and feedback from all over the world?
What is Gifted Education Programme (GEP) and How Does it Work?
The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) aims to develop and nurture children that are intellectually gifted. This is a rite of passage in Singapore’s mainstream schools for Primary 3 students to go through. It all started in the year 1984 and has been a tradition for every generation of Primary 3 students to be a part of.
Back in the year 1983, the first batch of the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) began. Its selection test was 40,000 Primary 3 students who took it in September. After the test, there were 100 best students who were selected to pilot the Primary 4 GEP. The pilot class happened to be at Rosyth School and Raffle Girls’ Primary School. Since then, it has been a tradition. The Primary 3 students in Singapore will gather in their classrooms, auditoriums, or school halls every year to take the GEP selection test.
Screening of GEP Primary Schools in Singapore
It has a two-stage exercise, first, they will conduct a screening in August which has two paper tests: (1) for Mathematics subject and (2) for the English language.
The second stage is where the selection happens. It usually takes in the month of October. Shortlisted students will have to go through three papers: Mathematics, English Language, and the General Ability. Afterward, parents will be notified and students will receive a letter of invitation. It will give them the opportunity to be a part of the Primary 4 gifted program.
This program has proven its effectiveness for many years. In fact, a survey once revealed that many of the GEP students have passed admission to many prestigious institutions overseas. They were also even been granted scholarship programs.
Top GEP Primary Schools in Singapore 2022
The Catholic High School (Primary) is an all-boys school. It is one of the highly-regarded Catholic schools in the country of Singapore. They don’t just offer programs like GEP, but also the Special Assistance Plan (SAP). It is also highly recognized for its bilingualism and biculturalism in both English and Japanese. They are also known for their sports like Wushu, Table Tennis, and Softball.
The Henry Park Primary School is one of the famous schools in Singapore offering GEP. It has a nurturing culture and holistic education since it has been established in the year 1977. The institution was also awarded for its Character and Citizenship Education, Best Practice for Teaching and Learning, School Distinction Award, Best Practice Partnership, and Student All-Round Development.
Nanyang Primary School is an all-girls school and a good GEP school. It is known for its alumni where notable leaders have studied in this school. Their brand of education is excellence and bicultural education. Their art groups are also in the top rankings in every competition. The goal of their GEP is to develop a high level of thinking and intellectual depth for each student. It also has the purpose to nurture productive creativity and develop qualities that a responsible leader must possess.
One of the pioneers to start the Gifted Education Program in 1984, Raffle Girls’ Primary School has been known for its reputation. Their GEP curriculum will let the GEP students to learn technical skills and also encourage them to explore their areas of interest. They have started with 40 GEP students and now they have about 150 students in Primary 4 and Primary 6. Not only that, but it has also achieved numerous recognitions for areas of Student Development, School Excellence, Teaching and Learning, and many more.
The Rosyth School is situated in Northeast Singapore and is one of the oversubscribed primary schools in the country. Together with Raffle Girls’ Primary School, it also pilots its GEP schools in the year 1984. This school has made sure that their curriculum is well-structured, the facilities are in top-notch condition, and its teams are experienced. They are also popular because of their Choir, Badminton, and Gold.
Anglo-Chineses School (Primary) is a boys school that emphasises both in excellence in academics and in moral values in character. It has a strong Methodist roots and culture that builds strong personalities for students. They have the Gifted Education Program that provides learning opportunities that enriches their students intellectual character and rigour.
Nan Hua Primary School maintains its strong focus on delivering Chinese culture and language to their students. It is also one of the primary schools that has a highly-subscribed student population in Singapore. They also offer different individualised study options: Community Problem Solving Programme (CmPS), Innovation Program (IvP), Destination Imagination (DI), and Individualised Research Study (IRS).
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