Gifted Education

Hi! I am writing this post on gifted education for my english ACE project. Please refer below for my work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 February 2009

1000 Toa Payoh North,
Singapore 318994

The Editor
The Straits Times
Singapore Press Holdings

Dear Sir/ Mdm,


The gifted education programme was first implemented in 1984, designed for the top 1% of pupils in Singapore, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3. The MOE (Ministry of Education) is committed to ensure that the potential of each pupil is recognized, nurtured and developed. It was recognized that there are pupils who are intellectually gifted and that there should be provisions to meet their needs.

While I understand the MOE’s initiative to hone the truly intellectually gifted, I would like to call for the current GEP programme to be reviewed. At first glance, it would appear to be a good move to challenge the truly intellectually gifted who may be bored or stifled by the regular syllabus. The GEP programme is built upon the regular syllabus where same topics on the regular school curriculum are covered in greater depth and breadth and where emphasis is on creativity and higher-order thinking skills. There are also mentorship attachments, camps and other out-of-class activities to help pupils reach their full potential.

However, a closer look raises pertinent questions regarding the advantanges of having such a programme. GEP students are told that they are the gifted elite, at a young impressionable age. However, being labelled a high-flyer at such a tender age may not be a good idea. Some develop a superiority complex feeling that the non-gifted belong to a lower class of the human race. A Primary Six GEP student wrote a letter to “Today” newspaper in 2005 openly declaring that non-GEP students were immature, and that she preferred to mix with people like herself.

Evidently, the system breeds elitism. If MOE has done away with the EM1, EM2 and EM3 system which also bred elitism and labelling, why has the gifted programme lingered? Granted that greater efforts are being made to integrate the gifted and non-gifted students in Community involvement Programmes and also partial integration in academic programmes where non-GEP and GEP students come together for some programmes (eg. Bicultural Programme in Tao Nan Primary School), nonetheless the segregation and differentiation remains. The question is why?

Also, what is the true definition of giftedness? To me, giftedness applies to many areas, not just in academics. It can be in the form of music, arts or sports. Unfortunately, in Singapore, we define giftedness purely by academic standards. Therefore, a number of parents send their children for enrichment classes to prepare for the GEP tests despite the fact that experts say that giftedness cannot be taught. Experts state that these centres, which peddle classes in the preparation of the GEP tests, are merely training kids to be 'exam smart'. Therefore, is MOE truly honing the top 1% of the cohort?

Questions also arise about the screening test conducted by the MOE for all Primary 3 students each year for entry into the GEP programme. This screening test comprises an English and Mathematics exam, followed by a General Ability paper which tests reasoning and problem-solving skills. Is giftedness confined to English, Mathematics and General Ability? Surely not.

As such, I would like to suggest a review of our education system. Children need to grow up in a holistic environment, exposed to music, art and other pursuits. Elitism should have no place in Singapore where we are to live together in peace and harmony regardless of race, language and religion, and may I add, regardless of academic ability as well.


Yours sincerely,


xxxxxx



Sources:
http://www.getformesingapore.com/previous2006/290906_primaryschoolstodoawaywithem3from2008_more.htm

http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/gifted-education-programme/development-and-growth/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifted_Education_Programme_(Singapore)

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20071028-32642.html