The unbearable likeness of being GEP 2

So, like, what's the deal with this GEP thing?

Apparently the headlines in Singapore are all ranting and raving about the GEP, albeit in a somewhat negative way. Of course, this kind of thing makes headline news because we don't care about how the international media is so uptight about us hanging some drug trafficker (although admittedly, I think that thing has been blown out of proportions - why's everyone upset about him being hung as opposed to Singaporean laws tying our judiciary's hands?). C'mon!

But seriously, this GEP thing is ridiculous. Let's look at what people are talking about:

1. Parents bribe and coerce their children into joining the most exclusive/prestigious of clubs - the Gifted Education Programme.

Parents are morons if they think that getting into GEP is such a big deal. GEP examinations are similar to IQ tests - you largely get selected on the basis of intelligence. So an invite to join GEP is like an invite to join MENSA - it's an indication to you that your child is smart (possibly in the 98th percentile or upwards) and that he could join a program with some benefits. What's the big deal? Why is it prestigious? Intelligence is a trait you're born with - a GEPer is as much intelligent as a blonde is, well, blonde (a crude version might be a man with a 17 inch dong). Why are people kicking up a big fuss about this? Big frackin' deal.

2. Gifted children only hang out with each other.

That's like saying Normal (Technical) students don't mix with Special stream kids. Like, duh. C'mon!

3. Gifted students have difficulty relating to the man-on-the-street.

And pray tell, how often does the man-on-the-street get his voice heard or get related to in Singapore? In all fairness, can you think of anyone who relates to the man-on-the-street in our country other than taxi drivers? Hell, taxi drivers ARE the man-on-the-street.

4. MOE says GEP students are doing as well at exams as non-GEP kids, refuting Don Shiau's claim that GEP kids don't do so well in exams. 75% get 8 distinctions at the O levels and 78% get 3A*s at PSLE.

Wow, I didn't even make 26th percentile. But seriously, what was Don Shiau thinking, suggesting that GEP kids don't do well in exams? I mean, we have virtually 100% scientific proof that intelligence will translate into academic performance (on an aggregated basis - there are freak individual cases like me).

5. The blogosphere is pissed off that GEP kids are immature, elitist and fullashit.

Which pretty much applies to just about every other intelligent kid in Singapore. I mean, we bloody encourage this kind of behaviour. Get full marks for exams - new computer. 99? More tuition. Let's compare our grades. Oh, you only got 90 - you dumb kid, Auntie May's daughter got full marks and is going to get 300 for PSLE! Why do you hang out with that John, he's so stupid?

Seriously, life in Singapore as a kid is harsh, man. Everyone wants their kid to be 'The Brainiest Kid' (a horror of a tv show and btw, Cheryl Fox ain't looking so foxy these days). They want their kids to enter exclusive programs - GEP, IB, Through train, SAP, "Xin Suan" (rapid mental arithmetic). As a society, we don't particularly encourage maturity or egalitarianism for our children - do you hear of parents who enrol their children in volunteer work to care about society? Or draw comics because that's his passion? Or be journalists so they can make important social contributions (oh wait, I forgot, this is the Singaporean press we are talking about). Hell no! We want our kids to be elitist and as differentiated as possible. That's us as a society. It's the new class war.

I don't see what's the big deal about GEP - unless you have a complaint that it's social engineering and we don't want to go down the slippery slope of eugenics. It's just a program where intelligent kids are grouped together and then intoxicated with lotsa experimental drugs - no wait, I'm letting on too much here - it's just a program where intelligent kids are grouped together. And taught in an environment with small classrooms and where the emphasis isn't just getting 100 marks for every paper (not until the exam years or unless your Head of Department is anal about academic achievement). It is NOT a prestige to get into GEP. It is NOT a measure of how your life will turn out to be. There are many freaks in GEP. There are many non-freaks in GEP too. And there are also many freaks in general.

Seriously, if people want a mature discussion, then start asking what we can learn from GEP, what GEP can learn from other academic programmes and go do something about it.

C'mon!