Chan Chun Sing on lessons from GEP in new approach for higher-ability learners

The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) has generally delivered good student outcomes in the past 40 years, with many students being stretched intellectually and developing holistically, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing. Replying to Parliamentary questions on Tuesday (Sep 10), he said the GEP alumni have made significant contributions in diverse fields, with many active in the community and social sectors. However, there are some students who felt weighed down by the expectations to excel or could not cope with the rigours of the programme and lost interest in learning. There were also students who were selected for the programme but decided not to join. Mr Chan said the Ministry of Education (MOE) has gained useful lessons and experiences in developing higher-ability learners. Primary schools have teachers trained to identify and develop high-ability learners in the cognitive and social-emotional domains. Hence, it is timely to update the approach to develop higher-ability learners instead of a uniform GEP for selected students. Mr Chan gave the assurance that MOE will support schools and teachers to deliver this new approach effectively and consistently. It will guide them in using multiple sources of information to identify higher-ability learners. These holistic assessments will include the students' academic abilities, as well as social-emotional readiness for the programme.