stretching higher ability pupils

HIGH-ABILITY primary school pupils who are not in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) are getting their minds stretched in new programmes in their schools.
These programmes range from classes in literature and the arts to mathematical IQ games and competitions.
Five schools interviewed said such programmes are being run because they believe that, after the GEP absorbs the top 1 per cent of pupils from each cohort following their Primary 3 year, the next 'tier' of students should also be given more challenges to take them as far as they can go in their areas of strength.
Schools that have started such extra programmes include Rulang, Canberra and Princess Elizabeth Primary.
But some schools do not wait till Primary 4 to start these programmes. One of them identifies such high-ability pupils as early as at the end of Primary 1, two years ahead of the GEP.