Any other Expat sending kid to Primary 1 local school

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:32 am

Just wanted to get some advise--I'm hoping to send my daughter to Primary 1 in 2008 to our local neighborhood school in Clementi. Any other expats sending kids to local schools? What's your experience been like?

sprite · Post by **sprite** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:49 am

May I ask, is it a financial decision? Or is it the style of education?

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:53 am

Some of both. No sense sending her to US or Canadian schools since I should I have left her at home then. Tuition rates here are sky high and from the three schools I've toured nothing seems worth that money. Plus I'd like her to work on her Mandarin and become more at home here. She's currently in a daycare at NUS and loves being with all the kids. I'm worried about sending her for half-day--what do I do with her after that? Also, any expectations since she'll be the only non-singaporean at the school? She gets lots of special attention at NUS since she's so light skinned and has light hair too. Any comments?

viajera · Post by **viajera** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:05 am

boffenl, small world, our kids go to the same daycare! while i don't have any advice for you, i'll be following this thread as we'll be on the same shoes next year.

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:07 am

glad to see another LV @ NUS parent on the list. Clementi schools seem very good--truth be told I was more impressed with Clementi Primary than I was with the Canadian school. But Clementi Primary has no spots left, so I'm left with Pei Tong which is good since it's the closest but they'll be moving into their new building in June 2008. Wondering about uniforms and busses too.

sprite · Post by **sprite** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:09 am

boffenl wrote:Some of both. No sense sending her to US or Canadian schools since I should I have left her at home then.

I'd say you have a gigantic misconception of what goes on at the Canadian International School or SAS (or OFS or UWC for that matter), these schools have a highly diverse student & teacher population but with the quality of education you'd expect at 'home'. They all offer Mandarin. It's alot of money to be sure, especially on so young a child, but most local school teach by rote learning, have very crowded classrooms, perpetuate the use of Singlish and have poor facilities and worse special services. Local schools often do not teach art at all. That's a mighty big price to pay. And come to that, do you really want her to get special attention because she is fair-skinned? Not sure that's a great life lesson to instill in a child.

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:22 am

Hi Sprite, Clementi Primary has an art program that is nationally recognized for all students--even Primary 1. The classrooms are brand new, amazing computer lab, wonderful gym facilities and a principal who actually took the time to speak with me. Yep, those things sucked me right in. Class size is roughly 30, but it's close to that at the Canadian school too. Yes, I'm concerned she'll get more attention being a "foreigner" that's why I'm asking if anyone else has experience dealing with that. She's already speaking Singlish to her friends, but I feel more consistent Manadarin at a local school would be better than occassionally at an international. Canadian school offered Manadarin once a week--and the French was quite poor. My two cents.

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sprite · Post by **sprite** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 3:14 pm

boffenl wrote:Hi Sprite, Clementi Primary has an art program that is nationally recognized for all students--even Primary 1. The classrooms are brand new, amazing computer lab, wonderful gym facilities and a principal who actually took the time to speak with me. Yep, those things sucked me right in. Class size is roughly 30, but it's close to that at the Canadian school too. Yes, I'm concerned she'll get more attention being a "foreigner" that's why I'm asking if anyone else has experience dealing with that. She's already speaking Singlish to her friends, but I feel more consistent Manadarin at a local school would be better than occassionally at an international. Canadian school offered Manadarin once a week--and the French was quite poor. My two cents.

Well it sounds fabulous, good luck with it.

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 4:35 pm

Thanks Sprite. I hope the Pei Tong facilities will be just as nice since they'll be moving into the new school in May 2008. I just looked on MOE's website and appears Clementi is out of spots for 2008--oh well. I'be be interested to know if anyone send their kid to classes at the local community center--abaccuss?

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 5:38 pm

I put both of my kids through the local school system primarily because I knew I would be here for a considerable number of years (didn't realize it would be this long though - 25 years and counting).

My thought processes were that while I didn't necessarily agree with the educational method used here at the time (just regurgitation of answers) I felt I could also inject a western questioning style in them at the same time. It seems to work for the most part, but maybe not quite as well as I'd hoped it would. Both of my kids took Mandarin as their second language from the get go in Kindergarten and are quite fluent today (one's 23 the other just turned 18 last week). This has given/will give them a leg up in the business world as they are also fluent in Standard English as well of Singlish and Mandarin (Well, Singapore Mandarin anyway - which does leave a bit to be desired according to most PRC's). This will hold them in good stead should they decide to remain here as they reach adulthood or return to the States.

I feel if you are going to be here for more than 5 years with preschoolers when you arrive, then, with the current changes being made to the curriculum in the local schools (the Government has realized a lot of the mistakes they made in the past) and the penchant for producing high caliber science and math graduates, to me it would at least be worth thinking seriously about. If you can create or promote the competitive edge, when you return home, your kids will be about a year ahead of other kids of their age group. Additionally, they will have a reasonable grounding in a 2nd language to work from as well (as opposed to a foreign language). Big difference.

Normally, race is not an issue in schools unless the parents bring up their kids to be racists. Kids tend to adopt their parents attitudes without knowing it. Mine are comfortable with any race at all because we are as well. Course I've never sequestered myself in an Enclave like Holland V or such because I wanted to experience the real Singapore.

viajera · Post by **viajera** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 6:00 pm

boffenl wrote: I just looked on MOE's website and appears Clementi is out of spots for 2008--oh well.

how did you figure that out? pei tong has 64 slots open for phase 2C, which just started today, right?

boffenl · Post by **boffenl** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 8:42 pm

I hear you Sundaymorning! I think she'll be much more grounded than coming from the mid-west USA and have certain mindset that sshe couldn't get at an International School.

As for Clementi and Nan Hua no longer being on the list--I was surprised too! If the school is not listed anymore on the MOE website that means the spots are all gone--according to colleagues at work.

I think Pei Tong is probably meant to be since it will be a brand new school in May. We pass it ever day and my daughter says--there's my school.

I'm getting more comfortable with the choice since we may be here for quite a few years. One question for others--how great is it having dental and health care at primary school? I hear all the advantages about the local programs in school, but would like to hear an expat's take on it if possible.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 20 Aug 2007 9:07 pm

My kids partook of the school dental care but frankly, I can't say too much as both of them inherited my teeth which are virtually impervious to anything except the end of a fibreglass diving board. I'll be 60 in a couple of weeks and with the exception of two broken by the diving board all the rest are original and cavity-free. They (the kids) are lucky. It is a good deal but I personally think it would still be a good idea to have at least one annual check-up rather than the recommended semi-annual ones.

There are a number of good dentists here if the info passed back & forth on this forum is correct. Do a search of the threads for more.

viajera · Post by **viajera** » Wed, 22 Aug 2007 8:14 am

boffenl, i just checked out pei tong's website and is it true that they offer only malay as mother tongue language?

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