Thinking I had it wrong about schools?

[bigapple]

I think that my thinking has been limited. I thought that the Singaporean schools were rigid, rote, crowded classes, ridiculous amounts of homework, and even caning for some punishments! We have not yet made our deal and I was convinced that it had to include money for two kids at International Schools, which is asking alot. Anyone out there in the public school system that can tell me the schools are on par with the International Schools and full of plenty of expat kids? thanks so much. Sorry for the ignorance of my question-it is all that I have gleaned from these expat forums since I am unable to come see for myself yet.

[sundaymorningstaple]

bigapple,

They are not FULL of expat kids. There are Expat kids in a number of schools but they are the minority. The term Expat takes in all foreigners in Singapore (Not just Caucasians). A large number of the "Expats" in the local school system are ethnic asians or the eurasians like my kids who are classified as Caucasians but are mixed parentage.

I put my kids through the local system because I was here for the long term. both of my kids were born here and are now 17 & 23. Both have a firm grounding in English (also the local patois of Singlish) and Mandarin which will be of great benefit upon their return to the US should them decide to avail themselves of international business in Asia. The local School system has consistently proven in international scholastic competitions that they produce much higher scores in Maths and Sciences than almost any other (if not all) country.

The only benefit to putting kids in the international is that the curriculum is similar what your kids are accustomed to and would not have to try to play catchup as the local school system kids are about 1 to 1.5 years ahead scholastically age on age. If you were on a short term contract (2~3 years) it may not be beneficial to look at the local system even though it is substantially cheaper than the international variety.

[bigapple]

thanks for the information. I was actually not thinking that expats are just caucasian-my kids will (hopefully) be expats and do not fit into that category. And I certainly would not want them to be in a school plenty of expat caucasians only-why for that I would move to middle america instead of southeast asia.

I will only be there for a few years if we make it, so your point is well taken about the contrast of a system that is too different than the one back home. Then again, sorry to say that my current experience of the US educational system is nothing really I'm going to miss too much.

Thanks again

[sundaymorningstaple]

Why do you think I've been here 25 years! My son has one more year to go and my daughter has finished. Hopefully within the next 3-5 years will retiring back to my farm on the eastern shore of Maryland.

[Sinvan]

I will only be there for a few years if we make it, so your point is well taken about the contrast of a system that is too different than the one back home. Then again, sorry to say that my current experience of the US educational system is nothing really I'm going to miss too much.

Thanks again

Some of my friends put their kids in a public kintergarden and a school because they were not satisfied with quality of american education and believed that local one is better. It was very difficult for those kids to adapt to the different mentality, discipline and approach for studying process and parents had to pool them out. If you are planning to be here for not so long, it might be good to consider do not put your kids under such a huge stress and they still can get Mandarin classes and local culture if they want to.

[jskogsta]

I will only be there for a few years if we make it, so your point is well taken about the contrast of a system that is too different than the one back home. Then again, sorry to say that my current experience of the US educational system is nothing really I'm going to miss too much.

Thanks again

Some of my friends put their kids in a public kintergarden and a school because they were not satisfied with quality of american education and believed that local one is better. It was very difficult for those kids to adapt to the different mentality, discipline and approach for studying process and parents had to pool them out. If you are planning to be here for not so long, it might be good to consider do not put your kids under such a huge stress and they still can get Mandarin classes and local culture if they want to.

How old were the kids that was put into a local school? And did they have exposure to a different schooling system before moving to Singapore?

Might have made a difference?

/Jorgen

[sundaymorningstaple]

Good point.

If the child is just starting school e.g., kindergarten then I would definitely opt for the local system (my personal opinion only) because as I said, they tend to hothouse kids here and the kids - education wise - are about 1 to 1.5 years more advanced. This would bode well in giving a kid a jump start when returning home. The only problem I would see is the stress that learning a 2nd language would give (as opposed to learning a foreign language - a matter of degree) and living in a family where the 2nd language is not spoken. (I had that problem but as I was here for the long term, tutors helped considerably - my kids are fluent in Mandarin but my wife is not Chinese).

Going from an intense educational system back to one that is more laidback (not sure if good or bad) but more rounded (good) will be easier than the reverse I'm sure......

[Sinvan]

It is correct that previous experience is important and not only at school but at home as well.
Those children were in the middle school when they came here.
By the way, transfer from intensive school to laid back could be very harmful as well. My child was first 4 years in a very good schooling system, than we moved to another country where program for his age was 2 year behind and he developed a habite of doing nothing. We could not move him 2 years up because at that time he did not speak local language .
Actually, as younger child is as easier for him to learn languages. My son used to learn 2 foreign languagers at the time and neither of them were used at home. Now he is fluent in one of them and so-so in another and he kept total fluency in his mother tong as well, even he is thinking now in the used-to-be-foreign language.

[bigapple]

all good points. My kids have already been in the US system of education, but that being said, it varies so much here. WE live in new york city and my kids attend sort of alternative public schools. meaning they applied specifically for schools-not just their neighborhood schools. these are definitely more laid back type programs. What I am looking for in philosophy is ironically what I have read on the website of UWC-a true multicultural student body, a curriculum which seems global in its approach and community service. too bad it is so friggin expensive and has such terrible waiting list. so I am currently stumped.......