Gifted or Manmade

Last two days, I had been sending and fetching my daughter and my neighbour's son to attend the second round of GEP( Gifted Education Program) selection exams. Her school happened to be one of exam centers. There were roughly 500 pupils attending the exam, which was a fiction of normal school attendance. But I witnessed the massive traffic jam which I have never experienced before.

The two way road outside school, a 500 meters stretch, both sides, were packed by cars belong to parents who were sending or fetching their children. At one stage, the road was total jam, unmovable. I certainly never see so many cars packed outside school in any ordinary school day, not even the first day of the school. It seemed to me these 500 pupils, if not all, mostly have at least one parent accompanying them to exam. The majority are from at least one "C" class.:) The usual five minutes drive from my home to school turned out to be one hour ordeal. The sight was not less spectacular than Emperor Exam in olden China. I could even sense the anxious and exciting mood of parents in the air.

My daughter, together with other may be thousands pupils, attended two days of English, Maths and general ability test. She is one of two students who have passed the first round of exam. But in my neighbour's son's (ACSJ) class, more than half of class passed the first round.

I was naturally delighted when I first heard her passed, yet, I reminded her gifted or not is not the most important matter in one's life.

It is remarkable when one child to be labeled as "gifted". But in Singapore, that line has been blurred by many men-made efforts.

One pupil who attends numerous tuition may score higher than those who don't. But it is arguable whether he/she is gifted or men made. It seems to matter more to parents than to children nowadays.

My ex neighbour's son was selected into GEP two years ago. He is the only child at home, and I know that since five years old, he has been having tuition.

After exams, I asked my daughter how was exam? She said "Hard, but fun."

She said, "I am happy if I pass, I am still happy if I don't"