Anybody got foreign kids in local school??

[Paularaja]

Hi we are about to move to singapore on a local contract. International Schools are out of the question, we simply can't afford it,

Do you have a child in local school? We know the process is quite tiresome with all the balloting, however, would love some imput on the process and which school you used,

I would appreciate no comments on intl school as I really would love some info on the local schools, We are in a dilemma as to how to choose.
Thanks

[kirstyL]

Hi,

My son is going to local school. i found the process really easy....but then I was late for balloting so I had to go to the MOM web site and find a school in my area with vacancies. Then I checked out the school web site and once I decided which one was the best I went there and enrolled him. Really easy, no great hassles at all. Of course you have to get a student visa, and thats a hassle but otherwise ok. I started him out at Opera Estate Primary school which is in the east and known to be a really good school by locals. It was good for him there, but now I have recently moved to the west and he is attending Ju Ying Primary school....i went through the same process when i enrolled him there as well. Basically balloting is just to make sure local kids get first spot, then foreigners. And of course kids living near the school get first shot over others. Since I was late I didnt need to ballot just took an empty space at the school. The local system is quite good. of course it depends on the school. My son loves going to school and has loads of friends....just be prepared for the singlish they bring home

[kirstyL]

sorry just read my post and realised i didnt really answer your question too well.....when it came to choosing i looked for a few things, first being how many awards the school has and what they were for and what extra curricular activties they have. You may also need to check the timings for the school day as some schools are working on one session a day usually 7am - 1pm and some have morning or afternoon, and it will depend on the class that your child is in whether they are morning or afternoon school. For example on the awards, my sons current school has been open for 7 years and in all 7 years they have had 100% pass rate for the Primary School Leaving Exams(PSLE) which is an exam all students take at primary 6 before they can proceed onto secondary school. Hope this is helpful!

[nd168]

To be honest, singlish is something that I concern about for my kids. I guess it is inevitable when sending kids to the local schools. I heard that some kids can adjust well and switch their accents with ease. I do hope my kids keep their good English.

[kirstyL]

Well my son is mostly speaking singlish, but the accent has not really changed!! It sounds kinda funny. But i dont think it is having a lasting effect. Just he likes to talk like his friends do. So I am not that concerned.

[grange9]

Test

[viajera]

primary school starts on the year a child turns seven years old. the balloting discussed in this thread applies. it will apply to your child, unless he becomes PR, too.

before primary school, you may enrol your child in a kindergarten, most of which are privately run. they can accommodate your child for as long as they have vacancies; no ballotting, no special procedures.

best to browse the MOE website for more info. there's also a more detailed thread on preschools in this forum, if you dig a bit deeper.