Schooling

[mummyandalicia]

We are looking at relocating to Singapore from the UK and are confused with the options for schooling our 7 year old daughter. Does anyone have a UK child in a local school, and if so how do they like it?

If attending International Schools, which ones should we be considering? Also how do the fees work? We have read about a deposit being needed but one school mentioned a maximum family deposit, so we wonder if as we have only one child is there a reduction?

[Lady C]

Hi there,

In terms of schools you need to first decide what is your budget.

For instance if your budget can't extend to 20K a year per child for schooling then interational schools are out.

In terms of local schools, there not horriable but it can be hard for a child to intergrate. Additionally, the teaching style is much more different. Furthermore some people worry about there child picking up a singaporean twang to their accent making it hard for them to intergrate when they go back home. T

LC

[cbavasi]

In re: to the deposit - if it is one term fee (i.e. $7,000) then you would only have to pay that once for multiple children. You wouldn't have to pay $7k per child. Most International Schools also have either a registration fee or admin fee that is non-refundable in addition to the deposit. Tho if you decide to put your child on a waiting list and pull off before they are offered a place you will get back a portion of this fee.

[quidsin]

Hi there,

In terms of schools you need to first decide what is your budget.

For instance if your budget can't extend to 20K a year per child for schooling then interational schools are out.

In terms of local schools, there not horriable but it can be hard for a child to intergrate. Additionally, the teaching style is much more different. Furthermore some people worry about there child picking up a singaporean twang to their accent making it hard for them to intergrate when they go back home. T

LC

totally agree with Lady C. Spot on with regards to budget/cost @ 20k per child, but can go up a lot higher especially if they are getting the school bus. Also worth noting that school fees are likely to rise considerably again for this year because of expected repatriation of expats therefore resulting in lower enrollment rates which then need to be divied up across the school - this has to be the most expensive place on earth to send a child to int'l school. My son attends Tanglin and is 4 yrs old, it will be costing us $25k for him come this September and with our 2nd child approachng the school age fast, we are cosnidering our options are paying $50k per year is robbery.

With regards to local school, we did try my child in one for a few months but it just didn't work - like Lady C has said, the teaching style is very different and the English oral language I witnessed in the classroom was poor, LAH !

also, places in Local schools are allocated first to Singaporeans, then PR's and lastly foreigners or expats on employment passes. Therefore, the best of the local school places get taken and expats get the leftovers...