GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMME

GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMME

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(Percentage of students qualifying): **

31.

Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for Education (a) over the last 10 years, what is the number and percentage of students who qualified for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) by attending special private tuition classes to prepare them for the GEP test; and (b) whether the Ministry will undertake such a survey and disclose its findings to the public, if these figures have not been collated yet.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: GEP students are selected using tests which have been developed based on well-accepted research and best practices. They test innate intelligence for the top 1% of the population. Special preparatory classes cannot enable a child to perform at a level beyond his capacity. We remind parents of these facts and not to place undue pressure on their children to study for the GEP tests.

MOE does not track the number and percentage of pupils who attend special classes to prepare for the tests and we do not have any plans to do so.

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