How this local couple 'accidentally' raised a gifted child

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 local parents 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 Francis, who shared his inspiring story.

How to get into GEP in Singapore: Local dad shares inspiring personal experience 

Francis 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 per cent 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 up 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, at 20 years old, Francis' 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. 

ALSO READ: Myth of the gifted child: 4 secrets to bring out your child's inner 'genius'

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 [sic] 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.”

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

This article was first published in theAsianparent.