Any other Expat sending kid to Primary 1 local school

[boffenl]

when I went for the visit I saw the three native tongue classrooms. On MOE's website it lists all three, Chinese, Malay and Tamil as being offered there. I'll ask again to make sure she'll be able to take Manadarin.

[sprite]

So boffenl, just curious -- are you thinking you'll be in Singapore long-term then?

What keeps alot of us in the International School system is the ease of transfering, kind of the unspoken legacy of the expatriate. You never know where you'll end up.

Also, have you thought about extra-curricular activities for your little one?

I'm not sure I understand your reasoning for your child being 'better grounded' by attending a local school, but I do know there are things to be gained and sacrificed with either system you choose and you've obviously given it a great deal of thought. It used to be a company paid the tuition, so the decision was easy, but with compensation packages shrinking or non-existent -- well, that makes for some tough decisions.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I would have to agree with sprite here.

I would have to really think hard about any overseas school system set up to ease the transition or maintain the style and texture and level of an educational system that is so degraded it will currently take almost 40 years to get it back to producing graduates at a level where it was when I graduated 40 years ago. Extra-Curricular activities, all local schools have 'em as well. I know I almost never saw my kids as they were always in one activity or another.

[sprite]

I would have to agree with sprite here.

I would have to really think hard about any overseas school system set up to ease the transition or maintain the style and texture and level of an educational system that is so degraded it will currently take almost 40 years to get it back to producing graduates at a level where it was when I graduated 40 years ago. Extra-Curricular activities, all local schools have 'em as well. I know I almost never saw my kids as they were always in one activity or another.

Sundaymorningstaple's cynicism aside, I was thinking more of American football, baseball and scouts.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Got scouts here: http://www.scout.org.sg/company_profile ... Robert.htm

American Football & Baseball. Fair enough but now that Beckham's in Calif. Soccer/football might be better. Anyway, not all students are suitable for sports and there are lots of other extracurricular activities besides male oriented sports.

Don't think I'm being cynical at all. Have you taken a good look at the US educational Systems and what is being produced? Kids are being graduated just to keep the stats up and prevent the various affirmative action groups happy. It's called the dumbing down of a nation. This might be why we have the level of the current government as well. Most college sports hero's cannot hardly right their names and addresses let alone get a high school diploma.

Course I could be cynical and ask is if graffitti spraying of cars a la Michael Fay is considered extra-curricular activities here in Singapore!

Yeah. I'm a crotchety ole farmboy. Work hard at it.

[sprite]

Yeah. I'm a crotchety ole farmboy. Work hard at it.

Yes, you've certainly proved that. Enjoy!

[kirstyL]

Hi, I am sending my son to primary one at Juying Primary in Jurong west. He loves it and I love it as well. Not all local schools use the same teaching styles. Some are only interested in pushing kids to be perfect (which I find riduculous) and others are more relaxed. As far as i know, all local schools will offer at least chinese and malay as mother tongue. It is I believe a requirement that they must, as chinese children are not allowed to take malay for mother tongue, although malay children may choose to take chinese as a mother tongue.(or so I have been told by numerous people). My husband is malay but i am australian, so my children could choose what they wanted to learn, i however prefer that they learn their own culture so enrolled my son for malay classes. The only slightly annoying thing is that now my son has lost the accent and speaks singlish, although i constantly correct him. But I suppose that cannot be helped. He is doing very well though and I do not think that he could be doing any better even if he was sent to an International School. Besides, we are staying here now so no point trying to maintain a sense of the Australian school system when he will probably never have to go through it again. (also i dont think its better then here anyway! At least children here want to get good marks in school!) Well thats just my opinion and I know alot of people wont agree with me, but i dont see the point in my son living through life with everone around him not understanding what he says because he has not adapted to the country we live in. That was what it was like for him to begin with anyway. Even his teachers couldnt understand what he said half the time, now at least he has no trouble being understood and I think that really helps with his abiltiy to do well at school and elsewhere.

[boffenl]

Well, we had a fun day on the 30th of August as we arrived at 7:45am to get our ticket to register our daughter for Primary 1. We were number 11--out of 15 spots available--and registration didn't open until 8:30! I thought it was carzy, but at least four families sent maids or "helpers" to get the number early and arrive just before 8:30. Lots of paperwork, we brought all originals so there was some photocopying to do. Whole process took over an hour (since we were number 11!) but we really liked the office staff and got some great advice from the vice-principal. Parent orientation will be in late November where I gather we'll get her uniform and books. They also have a buddy systems with grade 4 or 5 so the new kids won't feel so alone. I feel much better having registered her--now it's just a waiting game until January! yeah!

[keinicke]

No need to try & agree here with so many nationalities, point of views & time line expectations in country so while International School might be only real choice for some others really would do best in local schools.

I myself choose to be an exchange uni student here & obviously I didn't come here expecting to improve my english although it might have being a non native speaker
Its not like all expats are from OZ or the US!