Secondary School in Singapore

[VictorNoah]

Good day everyone.

I am an expert from Australia. And pretty soon, am gonna relocate to Singapore with my family, and stay there, probably, for the next 5-6 years. But the problem is that our 2 children are currently in High school, here in Australia. So, my question is: Which area, exactly, can I find some good-performing schools for my children? Mind you, they're both in Grades 8 and 9, respectively.

Your recommendations will be highly appreciated.

Thank you!

[malcontent]

Since both kids will presumably finish high school in SG, they don’t need to stick to the Australian system - is that what you are thinking?

I’m also assuming your company is footing the bill and they allow you to pick any International School you wish; no budget considerations?

Within the International Schools here you’ve got varying levels of academic rigor, although they are all comparatively “easy” compared to local schools! I believe UWCSEA is among the strongest academically, and I often hear that OFS is on the other end, being one of the least academically challenging schools.

Generally, international schools here are are academically “above average” compared to schools in their country of origin. This is definitely true at the Singapore American School where my son goes, but it’s not up to the level of UWCSEA (my opinion).

Generally not for profit schools are usually better, but not usually cheaper. For profit schools tend to have higher teacher turnover because they don’t offer the most attractive compensation (due to the profit motive). For school facilities, generally the bigger the school the better - and this can be a more important consideration at the high school level where things like access to equipment in a science lab can make more difference.

What about sports, is that important? Do you want your kids to have access to common sports played in Australia, or doesn’t it matter?

What about academics, are your kids high achievers? Would they be able to cope with a higher level of academic rigor?

What about university after high school, are they headed back to Australia?

[VictorNoah]

Thank you very much for your detailed tips and recommendation. Yes, my company is the one footing the bills. So, yes, there's no budget consideration whatsoever. However, post-secondary education will have to be back home (Australia). So, the most important thing now is finding the best-performing high school for them.

[malcontent]

Thank you very much for your detailed tips and recommendation. Yes, my company is the one footing the bills. So, yes, there's no budget consideration whatsoever. However, post-secondary education will have to be back home (Australia). So, the most important thing now is finding the best-performing high school for them.

What is your definition of best-performing?

[VictorNoah]

What is your definition of best-performing?

What I mean is a school with a historic record in academic performance.

[sundaymorningstaple]

What is your definition of best-performing?

What I mean is a school with a historic record in academic performance.

I believe Mal answered your question in his first reply to your initial post before you modified your posts.

As as noted, also by Mal, none of the International Schools can compare with the 1st tier local schools, which, for the most part are completely out of reach for Foreigners when it comes to the best schools here. Best a foreigner can hope for is a neighborhood school, but that is also very unlikely as there aren't enough slots and locals have all the first choices, followed by PR and lastly, if any spots are untaken are potentially available to foreigners. Most schools except the outlying schools are usually full before the PR even have a 100% chance in a school of their choosing. (or new schools with no academic history to speak of).

[malcontent]

I would say that generally for International Schools here, academic performance is quite satisfactory, if not beyond the expectations of parents coming from Western countries.

Keep in mind that these schools inevitably have large numbers of international students from East Asia and the Subcontinent, where student academic ambitions and parental expectations around that are much higher than in the West - plus you have pervasive local culture in Singapore that overemphasizes academics… all of this tends to influence schools here and ensures they have their academic house in order. So, I kind of doubt that is going to be your biggest worry.

You might want to think instead about what kind of environment would be most beneficial to your kids, where would they excel and enjoy school the most? Would having at least a few of their fellow countrymen in their class help them integrate, or are they very adaptable and open to “maximum diversity” like they would experience UWCSEA?

[malcontent]

If you are interested in something closer to local education, there are three International Schools that are affiliated with top tier local schools, these are: Anglo Chinese International, Hua Chong International & St. Joseph’s International.

My daughter attends a top tier local school and I have to say, they go way… way too far on academics. She has no life and no… I am not exaggerating in the slightest. She studies non-stop morning to night, even on weekends.