Science experiments and honing debate skills: How after-school enrichment pushes stronger pupils

Such school-based provisions for high-ability pupils are set for a nationwide expansion. Science experiments and honing debate skills: How after-school enrichment pushes stronger pupilsSign up now: Get tips on how to help your child succeedGabrielle ChanSummarySummarySingapore will expand primary school enrichment programmes from 2027, as the Gifted Education Programme comes to an end.High-ability learners will receive in-school enrichment and advanced classes at 15 designated centres. A new one-stage test and teacher observations will aid selection.Existing school-based programmes, like debate and E2K Science/Maths, build critical thinking, confidence, and foster a joy for discovery through hands-on learning.AI generatedPublished Mar 04, 2026, 06:30 PMUpdated Mar 04, 2026, 06:30 PMSINGAPORE - Speaking confidently before an audience did not always come naturally to Primary 6 pupil Carys Ang, who describes herself as shy and lacking in confidence when she was younger. But after two years of being part of Blangah Rise Primary School’s after-school debate programme, she is now able to deliver speeches with poise, backed up by arguments and rebuttals drawing on real-world knowledge. “When I was in Primary 4, I went to see my first ever competitive debate as an audience member, and I was so impressed at how the participants spoke so well,” said Carys. “And I wanted to become like them.”Today, Carys, 12, represents her school in competitions, using the weekly sessions taught by its English language teachers to strengthen her voice projection and improve her clarity of speech. Such enrichment includes topics like design thinking and journalism. She is one of 40 pupils who were selected by her school for English language enrichment. Overall, 15 per cent of the school’s Primary 3 to Primary 6 cohorts is enrolled in various enrichment programmes, including those in mathematics and science, which were introduced in 2019. Such school-based provisions for high-ability pupils are set for a nationwide expansion. From 2027, these programmes will take in 10 per cent of all primary school pupils, up from 7 per cent now, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in 2024 when he announced that the GEP in its current form would be discontinued. Instead of centralised classes at nine specific schools, which currently include Nanyang Primary School and Henry Park Primary School, high-ability learners will be stretched through in-school enrichment within their own primary schools, he had said.In addition, Education Minister Desmond Lee announced on March 3 that advanced classes will be offered at 15 designated centres across the country to further support these pupils. These 15 centres - including Teck Ghee Primary School in Ang Mo Kio and Clementi Primary School in Clementi - will not be fixed.Teachers told The Straits Times that they select pupils for school-based enrichment based on a few data points, including teacher observations, daily schoolwork, and a pupil’s genuine interest in the subject. The primary goal is to identify aptitude rather than just exam results.The new one-stage identification test, announced by Mr Lee on March 3, will serve as another point of reference for this selection process.Blangah Rise Primary’s debate sessions challenge pupils with complex themes, ranging from the ethics of laboratory-grown meat to the feasibility of free public transport.“We are not just teaching presentation skills, but critical thinking,” said Ms Aprilene Goh, the school’s head of department (HOD) for English.“For students with verbal talents, we want them to be able to respond to points made by the opposition on the spot, and be able to structure and nuance their case,” Ms Goh said.Carys’ schoolmates Sri Raman Rajaraman and Teo Kai Ting said they learnt how to better manage emotions during a debate and improve their speech writing skills.“I was a bit reckless when it came to controlling my emotions when we lost or during rebuttals,” said Raman, reflecting on his past experiences. “But over the years, I learned to tone down my voice and control myself.”For Kai Ting, she managed to develop her thoughts and arguments into fuller speeches that span over four minutes. “Its heartening to be able to create different opportunities for stronger pupils to be engaged,” Ms Goh said, adding that the school has no cap on its intake for enrichment programmes to ensure that all pupils with academic strengths and talents will be offered opportunities. At Palm View Primary School, pupils discover the depths of science through weekly 90-minute sessions in smaller classes after school. A total of 14 Primary 5 pupils and 16 Primary 4 pupils, including Nayak Stavya and Yianne Chen, are now part of the Excellence 2000 (E2K) Science programme, which the school started nine years ago. The sessions are taught by its teachers in the science labs.For Stavya, 10, the programme’s appeal lies in the autonomy of discovery. “In normal lessons, the teacher often explains the experiment and tells us the results, but during E2K lessons, we follow a protocol