Help with schools and location: coming from CA, USA

[Ustas]

Hello!

We will be taking an expat assignment in Singapore in March, coming from Silicon Valley (California) with two kids: 13 and 4. A few questions I would really appreciate any help with:

1. From the education perspective, it looks like the two options for us are a) Singapore American that claims to use the US curriculum, or b) one of the generic International Schools. Can someone comment on their experience with those, specifically if you're coming from the same area.

2. Location-wise, seems like if we go for SAS, it would be better for us to settle somewhere close to the school so kids can walk there. On the other hand, I will work around W6 Commonwealth, and my understanding is that there's little life near SAS, so we would have to take a long ride to downtown if we wanted to go somewhere. Any opinions would be appreciated.

3. I am starting in March, but my family will be joining only in July to let the older one finish the school. We can't do the house hunting trip for a number of reasons. I am thinking about waiting with the long term place till my family comes, but I am worried the prices will go up substantially after 5 months. Any comments on this?

Thanks!

[David91]

"I am thinking about waiting with the long term place till my family comes, but I am worried the prices will go up substantially after 5 months. Any comments on this?"

The private sector housing market has been showing steady growth and is projected to continue rising in 2007. In some areas, however, the prices of HDB property have been falling. Thus, it depends what your standards are. If you want to have condo facilities or a private landed property, you can expect prices to continue rising. But if you would consider renting a 5 room or EA in an HDB you will find good value in a stable or falling market (depending on the district).

[Ustas]

Thanks, David!

[Hibiscus1967]

Hie,

If you want your kids in the American School, get them on the waitlists ASAP. These can be long, and American passprt holders, while given priority over others, have no guarantee of a place. It is a good school but yes, it is far away at one end of Singapore. There are other more centrally located schools that are okay, some of which have long waitlists too.

Do a google search and find out what the schools are, look at a map of Singapore to see where they are, and decide where you want kids to go and the family to live. Having said that, Singapore is a tiny island, so no where is really far away.

If you want to live within walking distance of the American Sch (SAS), then decide that early, and manage the commute to work and town somehow - there are trains and buses, and taxis if you do not wish to get a car. People do it if they believe the school will work for them. It has an excellent reputation. My kids are not there, but that's partly because of the waitlist situation.

Hope that helps.