5 Things to Note About the Revamped Gifted Education Programme  

Singapore’s Gifted Education Programme (GEP) has long been recognised for identifying and nurturing the nation’s brightest young minds. Traditionally reserved for the top 1% of Primary 3 students based on rigorous nationwide tests, the GEP has now entered a new era of inclusivity and flexibility. 

As discussed in an earlier article on Singapore’s Gifted Education Programme, the framework once relied heavily on academic selection and pull-out classes in designated schools. 

However, with recent changes implemented from 2024, the GEP has evolved into a more holistic, school-based model that better reflects each child’s unique strengths and interests. 

Read on as this article explores how these changes affect students, parents, and educators, and what it means for the future of high-ability education in Singapore. 

What has changed in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP)

1. Increased Reach 

• Expanded, school-based reach: Under the new model (from P1 2024), high-ability enrichment classes will be available in every primary school, rather than only in nine GEP schools. Roughly 10% of each cohort (about 3,000 students) can now be in school-based gifted programmes – up from ~7% today – and they remain in their own school, studying with friends and familiar teachers

2. After School Modules 

• After-school modules for further stretch: Students who show strong interest in a subject may be invited to attend special after-school modules at nearby schools. These modules go beyond the normal curriculum – designed to “cultivate curiosity and a love for learning” rather than drill for exams.
  
  

• Based on the example given by Minister Chan Chun Sing, school-based science classes might have students investigate everyday phenomena (e.g. exploring cooling hot tea by discovering Newton’s law of cooling, while after-school science modules could involve researching real-world issues (e.g. sustainable eating practices and proposing solutions).
  
  

3. Strength Based Choosing of Subjects 

• Flexible, strength-based learning: Unlike the old GEP with a uniform curriculum, the new approach adapts to each child’s strengths. A pupil very strong in English but not in Math might join only English high-ability classes and modules; another child strong in both English and Math could attend both subject tracks. This subject-by-subject stretch means gifted students get personalised challenges in their areas of interest, and others with uneven strengths still benefit from enrichment in select domains

4. Multiple “Assessment” points

• Revised selection criteria: The traditional two-stage GEP test in P3 is being overhauled. The first-stage ability test (English and Math at Primary 3) stays; the second-stage test (additional papers in P3) is scrapped.
  
  After that, students can be identified at multiple points from P4 to P6, not just at one cutoff. Schools are empowered to spot talent in day-to-day learning: teacher recommendations, classroom work and observations can trigger entry into enrichment, with “no set weighting”. Overall, the process becomes more holistic – reducing stress on a single exam and giving a fuller picture of a child’s abilities over time
  
  

5. Opt ins 

• Opt-in remains voluntary: As before, parents and students may choose not to participate. But by moving high-ability programmes into every school and diversifying identification methods, the reforms aim to broaden access – replacing the old GEP’s narrow 1% cohort with a more inclusive approach benefiting many more learners