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SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by Barnsley » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:11 am

Wd40 wrote:The only thing you can tell OP is that he should have studied the rules of the game before wearing his pads. After you come to the field and are facing the baller, you can't say, what if I get a bouncer.

It is a different matter that you didn't make use of the benefits of PR or also saying that PR benefits are not really great, is also a moot point. On a forum like this you either get sympathy or ridicule. But that doesn't help your situation at all. Also nobody will suggest you to do anything illegal or unethical.

So this is just a philosophical discussion going on here. I don't know what OP has come here looking for, especially his second post is almost like an appeal to the forum members. How does convincing us help you in anyway. None of us are in any power to give you some kind of waiver or something.

OP you just have to learn the rules of the game and play accordingly. If you didn't bring your helmet along, may be it is too late and you do a hit wicket and get out of the field rather than injuring yourself. So it is your call.
Nice cricketing analogies my friend!

If you can work in "googly or doosra" that would be great!.

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by PNGMK » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 1:00 pm

If you're comparing Australian universities to US universities and thinking they are the same for Aero/Space then you're an idiot. Australian unis are distinctly subpar.
I not lawyer/teacher/CPA.
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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by ecureilx » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 1:21 pm

saxenar wrote: Looks like being an SPR has actually made us nomads - we neither belong to the country where we come from - nor we have SG citizenship. And we dont get any benefits - we are not allowed to buy HDB flat, no use of tution grant and there's a restriction about what streams of engineering can he choose here in SG?
Actually, years ago PRs enjoyed the same priviliges as SCs, and even EPs got great subsidies.

When the use and misuse of the privileges increased enough to make the natives take note, the benefits were trimmed.

No more new house for PR, no more this, no more that.

PRs dug their own graves trying mass immigration and mass migration out of SG.

Even those who swore allegience and came on full Schol to SG took flight once they got what they wanted. If it was a minority, of few races and groups, it wouldn't have been cause for concern.

When it became so rampant, new Post Grad Schols openly saying they are in SG only for the PG program, and will fly out once their obligations are met, I am sure that won a lot of accolades.

Can't blame SG Inc.

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 3:45 pm

I wasn't going to get into this thread but........Long winded as usual but necessary to point out some flaws in his thinking (from first hand knowledge as most of the regulars already know).
saxenar wrote:Thank you all for your feedbacks. Want to clarify a few points based on your inputs:

a. Re: 2 years will not dampen spirits: Well I agree - if it were about 10-15 years ago. In today's competitive world - where carreers are measured on weekly & monthly performances - naturally, youngsters who have ambitions of certain careers will be concerned. How can they think of giving-up 2 full years, when they are probed, questioned & left on their own fate in school even for a single day genuine leave? Teachers just tell parents that they cannot even share with the child what was taught in the class if the student is on leave - they just ask them to get notes from others and pick-up by themselves. If this is the way they are handled in school now, how can the youngsters have confidence that it will be easy ride for them after they come back from 2yrs of no education? The world is getting competitive every single day.. and its more evident here in SG than any other country.

My son-in law is a former PR who parents are, like me, still PR's after 30+ years. He wasn't a dual citizen but as a PR he was still sent through the local school system where he did his A levels (with excellent results) and subsequently did his stint in NS (as a PR initially). He decided to make the most of this time and as such he was offered OCA upon completion of his BMT. This he also did. After gaining his commission, he went the P. Tekong where he became a training officer and was discharged with the rank of Captain and a reserve officer. After he got out he enrolled in NTU (scholarship) and received a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He then went out and went to work with a manpower agency for 4 years back when they were building the two Maerk Drilling double derrick semi-submersibles at KepFels. He was hired by the service company as a Mechanical Design engineer. It was there that he eventually met my daughter who was also working for the same company as a Document Controller for the same two projects. When the project finished, he had saved up the required funds and put himself through a twinned university Masters degree between NTU and an Australian University where he received his masters (and did a double - getting his PhD as well in the process in a total of 9 months - and wasn't even asked to defend his Thesis it was that good). After he returned, he went through a period of unemployment that was rather stressful but then secured a position with Halliburton and a Downhole Mechanical Design Engineer. (Fluid Dynamics and Aeronautical Engrg are very similar). He was so good that in the first two years he was deputed to the Dallas, TX design office for a total of 18 months over a 24 month spread. He's been with Halliburton for around 5 years now and has two registered patents as well. My daughter? She was offered at the end of the 2nd Semi a job as the Rig administrator on the semi by Maersk which saw her spending a total of 3.5 years in Africa (2.5 of them in Lauanda, Angola. She didn't return to Singapore to live until she was 4 months pregnant. She's now stationed in the Maersk office downtown. Use the NS as a tool to create a local network. You don't know just how valuable it will be.

Oh, as an aside, he is an only Indian child so you know how the parents wanted to dote on him, but he refused to take any money for any of his tertiary education (All three degrees). He was offered SG Citizenship after his completion of OCS during NS and he took it up. Who says nothing good can come from NS?


b. Re: Didn't we know about NS when taking PR: Yes we are very well aware and my suggestion to my son is to go thru the NS. But I cannot enforce him at this age when he's also workign hard for building his career - he's always scored 95+% in his academics till now - and has been extremely active in a whole lot of extra curricular activites - including making his school proud on many ocassions. With the limited opportunities available in SG, he's questioning his future career. I feel we should never enforce youngsters to take a certain stream when they have their ambitions & aspirations of what they want to achieve in life. Wheather they are able or unable - is a different matter - many are differently abled till they find the opportunity that makes them excel.

This is a poor excuse. Education doesn't only come from a book. If the kid has the brains and the desire, he will make it. You are in fact trying to reinforce him to give up his PR. You should stay out of it, other than explaining that the years of safety and ability to stay here unhindered has obligations. Fortunately, with little or no chance of getting hurt as long as he keeps his eyes open and his mind alert. You do realize that in the future, as he is already too old to get out of NS legally, that he will be considered personal non-grata here and will never be able to work here. He may even become listed as a defaulter. Additionally, as biometric passport and chips advance, eventually a person's whole background will be available and sent to the airport in advance. This means even on a plane change, it might become possible to pick him up in the transit area. Technology is a double edged sword (as he should already know - based on his interests).

My son's question is - the opportunities for Astro Physics / Space in SG is very limited - NUS does have faculty - but after his learning he just does not have opportunities for his PG/ work. In all, he will need to do 2 yrs NS plus another 3 years work in SG to honour the Tution Grant agreement..

Don't use the tuition grant. Simple. Just be warned that education costs in Australia and the US even moreso, will make the cost of education here a breeze. After he graduates then he can go elsewhere and do his PhD somewhere else after working for a few years in the field.

c. Re: Cost of SG universities vs US / Australia: If we dont take tution grant the cost of NUS is at par with that of US / Australian universities. Whereas after his engineering here in SG - he has limited opportunities to pursue his career / PG, but in US / AU - the opportunities are vast & very very relevant to this field of interest.

d. Re: Indian - cake & walk: Does it mean that just being a SPR - one has to give-up on their career ambitions? Having asked this, he's not looking for cake & walk - he is just questioning the worth of the cake - if SG has the opportunities or can atleast give him the flexibility to finish is PG & comeback to honour his 3 yr work rule - he would be happy - but again, the 3yrs in SG work has to be relevant to his area of work..

Look to your countrymen. They are the ones who gave the whole country a bad name, not only in Singapore, but wherever in the world the diaspora are congregated.

e. Re: Indians giving-up PR: Yes, unfortunately many Indians have done this & hence even if we raise a genuine quesion & ask for suggestion, the entire community feels we are looking for a cake & walk. We asked relevant people to give us a direction - they just started issuing warnings about consequences - rather than even hearing out our challenge and atleast helping us with guidance / options etc..

As an ethnic group, you reap what what has been sown by your own countrymen.

f. Re:PR status itself is a privilege: Ofcourse - but that's not come for free -we do pay taxes and GST on everything - and we pay higher rent for accomodation - as we are not allowed to buy public housing. Plus our children have to sign a compulsory 3 years work in SG agreement against the tution grant - despite serving NS.

g. Re: Indian students from local schools are dumb: I am not aware of this, but not only Indian students -but even other nationalities who study in International Schools - definitely most of them are extremely bright & the school results prove the same - check the results of all inernational schools in SG.
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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by Mad Scientist » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 4:09 pm

Tsk Tsk Tsk [-X [-X [-X
The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.Yahoo !!!

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:19 pm

Hey MS, Still lurking I see. Been pretty quiet here innit! Was that meant for meeeee? :-k :mrgreen:
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by ecureilx » Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:22 pm

And just in time ;)

viewtopic.php?t=117490

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by Mad Scientist » Fri, 28 Jul 2017 6:24 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Hey MS, Still lurking I see. Been pretty quiet here innit! Was that meant for meeeee? :-k :mrgreen:

Nah, not you mate, For the poster.
I just sat down and thought of reading some post came up with this thread .
Things never change for some people, aint it ?
Just came back from Indonesia. Been living there for a year to get things sorted
The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.Yahoo !!!

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by PNGMK » Fri, 28 Jul 2017 10:37 am

You're right. Even last night I had someone try to tell me three lies in a row;

1. It's easy to get PR
2. I can easily get my boys in local school (even without PR)
3. They won't have to do NS

They get advice from friends and relatives who know nothing or have extremely limited and out of date knowledge or somehow think they are special cases where the rules and norms won't apply.
I not lawyer/teacher/CPA.
You've been arrested? Law Society of Singapore can provide referrals.
You want an International School job? School website or http://www.ISS.edu
Your rugrat needs a School? Avoid for profit schools
You need Tax advice? Ask a CPA
You ran away without doing NS? Shame on you!

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Re: SPR status - is it really worth it if your children have to pursue their dreams?

Post by ecureilx » Fri, 28 Jul 2017 10:52 am

PNGMK wrote:You're right. Even last night I had someone try to tell me three lies in a row;

1. It's easy to get PR
2. I can easily get my boys in local school (even without PR)
3. They won't have to do NS

They get advice from friends and relatives who know nothing or have extremely limited and out of date knowledge or somehow think they are special cases where the rules and norms won't apply.
:D

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