I even got my first scholarship when I was in nursery, where my school fees were waived. My nose was often in any book I could get my hands on, ranging from Enid Blyton to those mini Reader’s Digest magazines. Having “gifted talent” since kindergartenĪs for me, I picked up reading faster than my peers in kindergarten. One mistake or failure can lead to eternal shame for the child and their family – at least, it’s easy for the child to feel like it. While there is already existing pressure on regular students to excel, the pressure is harder on gifted kids as they are expected to maintain their intellectual dominance over others. That said, parents often vie to get their kids into the GEP which helps groom children with high intellect. Those who pass will be offered a place in a school that hosts the GEP such as Anglo-Chinese, Raffles Girls’ Primary, and Rosyth School. These kids are usually filtered out via the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) identification exercise in Primary 3. In the Singaporean context, being “gifted” is defined as advanced learners who pick up reading, maths and/or science faster than their peers at an early age. Here is how growing up with the “gifted kid” identity affected me years down the road. While we often take it as a blessing from the heavens, giftedness can turn into a curse for a child in the long run – take it from someone who received constant praise and even looks of envy from relatives. Or, whoever your parents often bring up as a stellar role model to compare you to. The typical “gifted kid” can easily be spotted in a crowded room: t hey’re the ones that one loud auntie can’t stop bragging about at family gatherings. Gifted kid burnout – What it was like going from A’s to F’s
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