On 27 May, a netizen asked former Gifted Education Programme (GEP) students on the r/askSingapore subreddit if they felt like they had lived up to the “potential” people expected of them.
The programme caters to the needs of intellectually gifted students in Singapore, who are identified through a two-stage exercise in Primary 3.
In response to the post, some ex-students shared more about their experiences, and also about where life had taken them.
Meanwhile, others weighed in on the Government’s decision to discontinue the programme in its current form.
One netizen, who graduated from the GEP in 2015, felt that they did not meet the traditional Singaporean “definition of success”.
They admitted that, as a 12-year-old child, they were too focused on playing computer games to take classes seriously.
However, despite nearly flunking ‘A’ levels, the netizen made “a lot of good friends” along the way.
Source: Income Insurance. Image for illustration purposes only.
“I suppose that’s success in a way,” wrote the Redditor.
Others echoed similar sentiments, sharing that they have not grown up to be anything extraordinary.
One netizen said that the programme “did not do much” for them, revealing that they are now “just a normal employee”.
source: Trust Recruit. Image for illustration purposes only.
Another said that most of their GEP peers are also working “regular jobs” in multinational corporations (MNCs) and civil service.
While they acknowledged that this could mean success by “typical Singapore standards”, the Redditor added that their jobs were not too significant.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
Not all responses were negative, though. One commenter recalled being surrounded by “brilliant, empathetic and supportive peers”, along with teachers who were deeply invested in their learning journey.
They credited the GEP for the meaningful lifelong friendships made.
Source: RedDot Academy. Image for illustration purposes only.
For this netizen, however, their experience in the programme was stained by “being (unfairly) branded as a perennial underachiever” — presumably compared to their overachieving peers.
Another Redditor also agreed that it was a treat to be surrounded by “brilliant peers”.
However, they noted that as students progress, it is difficult to tell the difference between someone from the programme and someone who’s not.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
The netizen also weighed in on the GEP’s revamp, calling it “a major disservice to genuinely intelligent students.”
Another who defended the programme said that “naturally intelligent” students should not have to “sacrifice the benefits” so that other students can feel better about themselves.
They further noted that the recent changes to Singapore’s education system favour the layman.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
Responding to this take, the OP shared their perspective as an “average” student during their school days.
They said there was never any resentment or negative feelings towards academically gifted peers.
Another Redditor, though, was in favour of ridding the programme.
They pointed out that the GEP “puts undue pressure on 9 to 12-year-olds”, which may “negatively affect their childhood”.
Also read: Opinion: What makes a ‘gifted’ S’porean? It’s time we redefine success beyond academic results
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Featured image adapted from Ministry of Education, Singapore on Facebook and Singapore Ministry of Manpower on Facebook. Images for illustration purposes only.