P1 Registration: MOE Rejects application

[ScoobyDoes]

Just curious, how does it work in other low tax regimes like the UAE?

All I can comment is that for HK, another low tax country, for expats and foreigners it is near on impossible.

There are three choices;
1) Local school where kids must know Cantonese
2) ESL schools where education is in English
3) International

By space, it is virtually impossible to get kids into #2 or #3 but on language it is virtually impossible to get into #1.

[Wd40]

Just curious, how does it work in other low tax regimes like the UAE?

All I can comment is that for HK, another low tax country, for expats and foreigners it is near on impossible.

There are three choices;
1) Local school where kids must know Cantonese
2) ESL schools where education is in English
3) International

By space, it is virtually impossible to get kids into #2 or #3 but on language it is virtually impossible to get into #1.

I see, now I get it why they say SG is better for families than HK.

[merichan]

Just curious, how does it work in other low tax regimes like the UAE?

All I can comment is that for HK, another low tax country, for expats and foreigners it is near on impossible.

There are three choices;
1) Local school where kids must know Cantonese
2) ESL schools where education is in English
3) International

By space, it is virtually impossible to get kids into #2 or #3 but on language it is virtually impossible to get into #1.

I see, now I get it why they say Singapore is better for families than HK.

Well there's also the air quality... the lack of space ( parks and space where children can be children are harder to find in HK than in SG ) but yes schooling is one of the big challenges

[ecureilx]

I see, now I get it why they say Singapore is better for families than HK.

not to annoy you, but I guess you meant "For Indian Families" ???

[nakatago]

Just curious, how does it work in other low tax regimes like the UAE?

All I can comment is that for HK, another low tax country, for expats and foreigners it is near on impossible.

There are three choices;
1) Local school where kids must know Cantonese
2) ESL schools where education is in English
3) International

By space, it is virtually impossible to get kids into #2 or #3 but on language it is virtually impossible to get into #1.

I see, now I get it why they say Singapore is better for families than HK.

Their country, their educational system, their language.

Don't all non-English speaking countries expect students to learn the national language if in the school system (non-IS)?

[ScoobyDoes]

Their country, their educational system, their language.

Don't all non-English speaking countries expect students to learn the national language if in the school system (non-IS)?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, just stating a fact.

However, if you look at the UK as an English speaking country, the flipside is immigrants coming in often demand education in their own language! Worse still, government funded.......and it happens.

That's a whole other topic but yes, in HK it is perfectly fair. The only thing still troublesome is the number of spaces in ESL schools, well, in fact, the number of schools themselves.

[ludwig12]

I have decidedly mixed feelings about this one.

On the one hand, it's very hard to argue that the Singapore government somehow 'owes' foreigners on EP/WP/etc. a spot in the Singapore public education system.

On the other hand, it's clearly not realistic to think that all such individuals can afford exorbitant International School fees. So the message one could take from the lack of Phase 3 places is that Singapore does not welcome mid-end foreign professionals with kids. In fact, one could argue that the government is positively encouraging a whole bunch of families to go home. I'm not sure this is the image that the country wants to project.

I don't agree with the first part. As tax resident, why aren't foreigners entitled to a place in the public education system? Where do the funding for the public school come from? Foreigners are already paying a different admission fee than locals so there is really no subsidizing here.

[movingtospore]

I have decidedly mixed feelings about this one.

On the one hand, it's very hard to argue that the Singapore government somehow 'owes' foreigners on EP/WP/etc. a spot in the Singapore public education system.

On the other hand, it's clearly not realistic to think that all such individuals can afford exorbitant International School fees. So the message one could take from the lack of Phase 3 places is that Singapore does not welcome mid-end foreign professionals with kids. In fact, one could argue that the government is positively encouraging a whole bunch of families to go home. I'm not sure this is the image that the country wants to project.

Your know, I think they do owe foreigners a spot in the public education system if they want it. All this phaffing on about Singapore being a first world nation...well be one! Any other country that denied school spots to immigrants would find themselves in a very deep pile of p-- re denying a basic human right.

Foreigners, who often make more money, also pay more taxes than the locals...the problem that they're created for themselves is that they're busy investing billions into things like satellite tracking of cars rather than their schools. So they do not have enough spots for locals even.



Just another loud, albeit indirect, announcement that foreigners are not welcome in Singapore.

[joydesiree]

Hi everyone, I'm a reporter from TODAY newspaper. We heard a rumour that expat parents here received a notice from MOE saying you can no longer place your children in local schools. Was wondering if this is true and if any one has received such a notice? Would love to find out more and to chat!

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 6357-4724 if this affects you

Thanks much!

[maneo]

Are you asking here because you don't believe the answer that MOE gave you?


Perhaps the story you should be pursuing is why the MOE is reducing recruitment of teachers(1) to less than half of the number of 5 years ago when there are a large number of students being rejected (700-1000 mentioned above)?

(1) "Ministry scales down recruitment of teachers," TST, 05 Oct 2014

[sundaymorningstaple]

At least this reporter/journo as enough cajones to identify herself. That, if nothing else is refreshing as the clowns from the daily birdcage liner otherwise known as the gahment mouthpiece just post anonymous posts and then see the thread that develops. Good on you. Hopefully you can get some confirmation.

moderator

[bro75]

If this is true and this trend goes on, many expats will get a rude surprise when they, upon coming here without expat packages which includes International School fee allowance, find themselves unable to send their children to primary school. Some PRs like me whose children have been rejected for PR ( counts as foreigner) could have this same problem in the near future. But hopefully, this will be fixed.

[Wd40]

If this is true and this trend goes on, many expats will get a rude surprise when they, upon coming here without expat packages which includes International School fee allowance, find themselves unable to send their children to primary school. Some PRs like me whose children have been rejected for PR ( counts as foreigner) could have this same problem in the near future. But hopefully, this will be fixed.

I hope your kids are given PR eventually. Keep trying.

[movingtospore]

Your children were rejected as PR??? Seriously? I've heard of the reverse happening...adults been rejected when they leave the boys off the application. But this is the first for that.

There could always be a back-story I suppose (ie, you've been here ten years and them 1 month). But seriously!

[movingtospore]

I wonder if Singapore was a signatorty to the international convention on the rights of the child, as a sort-of member state to the united nations? Deniying a child the right to go to school because they're a "foreigner" is in pretty bad form.