Gifted Education Programme

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng, Jalan Besar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education why the recently announced change in the Gifted Education Programme is not designed into a system where students can elect their choices of subject levels based on their ability, gifting and interest.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the average class size for primary school students in the same cohort (i) enrolled in the existing Gifted Education Programme (GEP) (ii) enrolled in schools offering the existing GEP but are not part of the GEP; and (b) how are average class sizes expected to change with the changes made to the GEP.

Combined Response

1.Mr Speaker sir, my response will cover the questions raised by Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Louis Chua, as well as those raised by Ms Denise Phua, Dr Wan Rizal, Ms Foo Mee Har, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Leong Mun Wai for the Sitting on 9 September 2024, and by Mr Mohd Fahmi, which is scheduled for the subsequent Sitting on 13 September 2024. If need be, I invite Members to seek clarifications following my response.

Key Outcomes and Developments

2.Ms Foo Mee Har and Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about the lessons learnt and the outcomes of the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). The GEP has generally delivered good student outcomes in the past 40 years, with many students being stretched intellectually and developing holistically. GEP alumni have made significant contributions in diverse fields such as public service, medicine, academia, arts, entrepreneurship and technology. Many GEP alumni are also active leaders in the community and social sectors. However, there were also some students who felt weighed down by the expectations to excel or could not cope with the rigour of the programme and lost interest in learning. There were also students who were selected for the programme but decided not to join.

3.Over this time, MOE has gained useful lessons and experiences in developing higher-ability learners and we have observed that while some students showed high abilities in multiple areas, there are also some students who showed passion and strength in specific single areas, such as in English or Mathematics. Students may also present strengths and potential at different points in their educational journey, rather than at a single point in time. These observations are in line with international research.

4.Concurrently, over the years, our primary schools have expanded their capacity in nurturing high-ability learners. Today, all primary schools have teachers trained to identify and develop high-ability learners in both cognitive and social-emotional domains.

5.Hence, it is timely to update our approach to develop higher-ability learners. Instead of a uniform GEP for selected students based on their general abilities in multiple areas, we can now also offer opportunities for those with higher abilities in specific areas. And instead of being selected at a single point, students can join these programmes at any time during their upper primary years. We want to work with parents to have the proper mindset to allow students to blossom at their own pace, rather than be hot-housed or rushed to be admitted at a particular entry point. The new approach also gives students the option to exit the programme or modules at any time, if they find them unsuitable or wish to pursue other interests, without the stigma of having failed to meet the expectations after being labelled as gifted.

New Approach

6.Ms Denise Phua, Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Mariam Jafaar asked about different aspects of our new approach. From the Primary 4 batch in 2027, higher-ability learners will remain in their schools and benefit from school-based development, without having to disrupt their learning environments and the social bonds they have formed. Students who can benefit from further stretch beyond school-based programmes can attend after-school modules at nearby schools. These after-school modules will bring like-minded peers together to interact and inquire more deeply on selected topics. We will ensure a good geographical spread of schools offering these programmes, so that they are accessible to all eligible students regardless of where they study.

7.Together, these programmes will provide higher-ability learners a more customised suite of development opportunities according to their interests and strengths. They aim to cultivate curiosity, creativity and a love for learning in students. They are not designed to help students perform better in mainstream examinations. Neither is the aim to introduce higher subject levels ahead of time, which would still be bounded by the core curriculum and examination requirements.

Resourcing

8.I wish to assure Mr Leong Mun Wai, Ms Mariam Jafaar, Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Mohd Fahmi that MOE will support schools and teachers to deliver this new approach effectively and consistently. MOE will guide them in using multiple sources of information to identify higher-ability learners. These holistic assessments will include the students' academic abilities and social-emotional readiness for the programme. MOE will continue to support our primary schools by providing more curriculum resources and professional learning for teachers to support the cognitive and social-emotional development of our higher-ability learners. For example, we will continue to train teachers to understand the cognitive and affective traits of higher-ability learners, establish a classroom climate that encourages exploration, creativity and personal reflection for these students. There will be platforms for schools to share best practices on how they design, implement and monitor their school-based programmes.

9.With the broadening of access to programmes for higher-ability learners in all schools from 7% to 10% of each cohort, and after-school modules being accessible to eligible students from all schools, students will be able to benefit from the new approach regardless of the school they attend.

10.Dr Wan Rizal asked about resource allocation and Mr Louis Chua asked about class sizes. MOE will continue to resource schools according to the learning needs of our students. While the typical class size in primary schools can go up to 40, the pupil to teacher ratio of 15 is comparable to OECD countries. Today, schools already have the flexibility to group students for learning based on their needs. For example, Foundation-level classes are typically smaller, with between 10 and 20 students. With this new approach, while there will be no change in the typical class size in schools, schools are able to size classes accordingly for the school-based programmes and after-school modules for higher-ability learners, as well as for learners who need more learning support, to ensure that the programmes achieve the intended outcomes.

11.Dr Wan Rizal also asked about strengthening access to quality education and support for all students regardless of their backgrounds. These changes to the GEP will indeed broaden the support for higher-ability learners and provide more opportunities for them to maximise their potential, regardless of their background.

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