GEP to be discontinued, 15 primary schools to host advanced modules for higher-ability pupils

Primary 4 students that could benefit from a "stretch" intellectually will soon no longer have to transfer to schools that offer the Gifted Education Programme (GEP).

Instead, they will be taught advanced enrichment modules in English, mathematics or science after school for two hours per week during term time. 

This means these pupils will stay in their own primary schools where they can remain with their friends and teachers. 

This was announced by Education Minister Desmond Lee in Parliament on Tuesday (March 3) as part of plans from his ministry to discontinue the GEP in its current form from next year.

In a speech to lay out the Ministry of Education's (MOE) spending plans for the coming year, Lee said: "Compared to the current GEP cohort, at least double the number of students will be able to take these centre-based modules, which cater to students with strengths in both specific and multiple domains.” 

The GEP, introduced in 1984, was meant to cater to the top 1 per cent of primary school pupils. 

In his first National Day Rally in 2024, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the GEP will be replaced with a "new approach' to stretch students with "higher abilities" across all primary schools.

There are currently nine primary schools that offer GEP: Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Catholic High School (Primary), Henry Park Primary School, Nan Hua Primary School, Nanyang Primary School, Raffles Girls' Primary School, Rosyth School, St Hilda's Primary School and Tao Nan School.

In the "refreshed approach", Lee said that 15 primary schools will serve as "designated centres" with specially trained teachers — some of them who currently teach the GEP curriculum — to teach the advanced modules.

They are: 

1. Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School
2. Clementi Primary School
3. Geylang Methodist School (Primary)
4. Innova Primary School
5. Jurong West Primary School
6. Kheng Cheng School
7. Palm View Primary School
8. Pioneer Primary School
9. Punggol View Primary School
10. Queenstown Primary School
11. St Gabriel’s Primary School
12. Tampines Primary School
13. Teck Ghee Primary School
14. Yew Tee Primary School
15. Yu Neng Primary School 

The minister added that the schools were chosen to ensure a "good geographic spread" and are accessible to students using public transport after school.

The list of schools serving as designated centres will be reviewed at "appropriate junctures" such as when there are shifts in student demographics, according to MOE.

Besides subject-based modules, these 15 schools will also host "interdisciplinary" modules that will be conducted during the school holidays. 

MOE told AsiaOne that students will make connections across subjects and contexts and apply their learning to "authentic" problems. 

For instance, the module on "playgrounds", which integrates social studies, science and mathematics, tackles the design challenges of playgrounds by studying their safety and investigate the science behind movement. 

Students will also design inclusive playgrounds for diverse users through "empathy exercises. 

On top of designated centres, Lee said that all 182 primary schools will also offer more challenging programmes for higher-ability students that are outside the curriculum.

These include the Excellence 2000 programmes where Primary 4 to 6 pupils deepen their understanding of mathematics and science through puzzles and games.

This will increase the number of pupils to be able to benefit from such programmes from 7 per cent of each cohort to 10 per cent, or 3,000 pupils.

Opt out programmes

Like the GEP, parents and students are free to opt out of the new programmes.

“These modules are not intended to give students a leg up in examinations. Rather, they are designed to further cultivate curiosity, creativity and critical thinking,” said Lee. 

There will also be changes to how pupils are selected to take the advanced modules. 

From August this year, Primary 3 pupils will take "standardised" English, Mathematics tests. Schools can also identify students to take the after-school modules through their work and observations from teachers.

This will replace the two-stage screening and selection tests for the GEP, which involves English and Mathematics tests, as well as a general ability paper.

Primary 4 and 5 students can also be selected for the after-school programmes at the each of each semester, the ministry said, adding that schools will provide parents and students with more details about the identification process later this year.

[[nid:729363]]

chingshijie@asiaone.com