ANSWER to my 3 QUESTIONS Please anyone

[musa786]

I will be moving to Singapore in July from Canada on a job with an MNC. I will be working from home with 50% international travel within the region. Since I dont have to go to any office as such I have no real preference for any specific area. I have 3 boys aged 7, 4 and 6 months. I probably would be making in the range of 9000 S$/month Gross.

My questions are:

1. How difficult is it to find a decent 3 bed HDB (pref.) / condo even far from the centre of the city but near good/reasonable schools within 2500 Singapore $ ?

2. I want to put my kids in local school. How difficult is it for them to get admissions in the local system ? how long would it take..and when do I register them.


3. Would my salary be enough to survive decently with the size of my family ?

thanks in advance

[humpbackwhale]

Hi, first thing to tell you is, don't worry, its very expat friendly here.

1) there are more than enough good HDBs at good local school here, for $1800 per mth you can get the best (HDB) units, but for condo expect to pay 2-3 times more

2) for local schools it all depends on how good your kids are, local schools are very diff and very competitive, if your kids have special talents, then no worry most local school will then want your kid

3) you can live well with that salary, no salary is enough if you splurge, no money is too little if you are thrifty

[musa786]

Thanks for the reply, one more thing are the local schools medium of instruction english or some other language ? or is it divided between english medium and say Chinese medium.

How difficult is for my son to be admitted in the local school considering he is probably just well above average 1st grader.

thanks in advance

[hei guess what]

How difficult is for my son to be admitted in the local school considering he is probably just well above average 1st grader.

Why not check out http://www.moe.gov.sg/corporate/students_foreign.htm
and e-mail directly to MOE to get the answers you need regarding admissions to Primary School (children aged 7 - 12)?

The medium of instruction is in English

[musa786]

Thanks I will check it and will correspond directly... much oblieged.

[shirinvj]

Hello!

We just moved here from Melbourne and our daughter is 4. She just joined kinder or K1 here and she is not having much fun. The schools here are very structured and classroom oriented and after having so much fun in Oz, the school here is a big change for her. She is already EXPECTED to be able to write and recognise letters and even read! All at kinder! So they really are serious when they say that schools here are very competitive and stressful!

[huggybear]

welcome shirinvj.

it's worse in new york city. affulent parents hire mandarin tutors and start teaching them foreign languages BEFORE kindergarten.

[psyflyer]

welcome shirinvj.

it's worse in new york city. affulent parents hire mandarin tutors and start teaching them foreign languages BEFORE kindergarten.

not sure which NYC your referring to. I live there part-time and have many very affluent/socialite friends from there and none of them have done, or would even consider what you mention.