Any Foreign kid got to Local School (2022)

[NYY1]

After looking up the dictionary definition of “bottom of the barrel” - I think I see why you thought my intention was to degrade or imply something objectionable or inferior.

This is where native speakers of English (who never learned the dictionary definition) can be misconstrued. My meaning was in the sense of “leftover or least desired items” after everyone has picked through the barrel and gotten what they deem to be the most attractive items — whatever is left over, if anything, is the bottom of the barrel.

I didn't even look up the definition in a dictionary when I read your comment. Instead, I knew what it meant and how people (in many different countries, including the USA) have used it to convey a meaning.

Are you, a native speaker of English, saying the dictionary meaning is wrong? Is it possible that your meaning is not the generally accepted meaning?

Anyways, I'm not sure you have a good understanding of nuance vs. tangent or majority vs. plurality (another thread) either, but I guess that's OK. Like you said, sometimes peoples' word choice is questionable (I'm paraphrasing).

[malcontent]

I’m native English speaker, hence my tendency to use vocabulary in a more colloquial rather than technical way.

And I was reminded by my wife just tonight, my choice of words is not precise enough for her, so it must be me. Ha!

[Lisafuller]

The government has stated publicly that only PR/SC students are guaranteed seats in local schools. I think it’s important for parents to understand that they cannot count on getting a seat in a local school. It could factor into decisions on whether to accept an assignment in another country, or whether to accept an assignment here at all. This is why I emphasize the limitation - not to sow seeds of hopelessness, but to ensure the limitation is understood by those who who are facing those decisions. Anyone who is not a SC has another passport with school choices outside Singapore, unless they are stateless.

Some schools are more desired than others, as the P1 registration process clearly illustrates. Many parents care deeply about this. Going back to the expat who is deciding whether to take an assignment elsewhere, they should know that only the least desired schools are potentially available (no guarantee) after locals have their pick. Nobody said they were bad schools, but they are not at the top of anyone’s list. This is not to make anyone feel bad, it’s just the reality here… and it’s very a different system than most countries — so in my mind, it’s good to be aware.

Good points and yes, people should be aware. I don't think I've ever said they shouldn't be aware?

Nevertheless, once again I don't think the reply is directly related to what I said. To recap:
#1. There are spaces available for foreign students.
#2. Some of those foreign students are happy to take the spot, and despite being called bottom of the barrel by others, many of the students can do quite well. Possibly, even surpassing some of the other students that started in a more desirable place. I think there are many things that could be reasonably inferred from this, but I haven't listed any of them and have no interest in discussing them.
#3. I never made any statements about how much difference a more desirable school might make to student outcomes. I was wondering if someone thought I did?

Maybe I'm missing something but if you want to address those points, that would be great (or if not, that's fine too). If you want to try and shift the topic to something tangential, there's no need.

I believe it’s nuance rather than tangent. One person can say the glass is half empty, the other can say it is half full… neither of them are wrong — it’s just different perspectives.

Disagreements are inevitable but they should not stop us from continuing to share our perspectives.

[Lisafuller]

After looking up the dictionary definition of “bottom of the barrel” - I think I see why you thought my intention was to degrade or imply something objectionable or inferior.

This is where native speakers of English (who never learned the dictionary definition) can be misconstrued. My meaning was in the sense of “leftover or least desired items” after everyone has picked through the barrel and gotten what they deem to be the most attractive items — whatever is left over, if anything, is the bottom of the barrel.

Not sure there's much of a difference in meaning though, Mal. Objectively, what is left behind can also be seen as what is undesirable, because if it was desired by others, it wouldn't have been left behind to begin with.

[Lisafuller]

After looking up the dictionary definition of “bottom of the barrel” - I think I see why you thought my intention was to degrade or imply something objectionable or inferior.

This is where native speakers of English (who never learned the dictionary definition) can be misconstrued. My meaning was in the sense of “leftover or least desired items” after everyone has picked through the barrel and gotten what they deem to be the most attractive items — whatever is left over, if anything, is the bottom of the barrel.

I didn't even look up the definition in a dictionary when I read your comment. Instead, I knew what it meant and how people (in many different countries, including the USA) have used it to convey a meaning.

Are you, a native speaker of English, saying the dictionary meaning is wrong? Is it possible that your meaning is not the generally accepted meaning?

Anyways, I'm not sure you have a good understanding of nuance vs. tangent or majority vs. plurality (another thread) either, but I guess that's OK. Like you said, sometimes peoples' word choice is questionable (I'm paraphrasing).

I actually don't think the meanings are all too different. The first definition is contained in Mal's definition.

[Lisafuller]

I’m native English speaker, hence my tendency to use vocabulary in a more colloquial rather than technical way.

And I was reminded by my wife just tonight, my choice of words is not precise enough for her, so it must be me. Ha!

Clearly, nobody had bad intentions, we're all parents that want the best for our kids, who have enjoyed many fruitful conversations/debates together. Nothing to be upset about.