Expat Advice on Local School Options

[Recruitment Mandy]

Hi

My current situation is that I'm considering to enrol my 7-year old girl in a local school. It is tricky as I'm a Singaporean married to a Scot and my girl is still in the UK, where my husband and I were previously based. My daughter has never been exposed to the local education system, cannot speak Mandarin and she is 'diagnosed' with behavioural problems, which is the main reason why I just quit my job and arranging for her to come and live with us in Singapore.

My concern is that she might not be able to fit into the system here in Singapore, as she is ethnically half-Chinese with no command of the language and a British upbringing. Worse still is that my husband's contract is for two years and we're moving back to the UK when his contract expires. If I enrol her in a Singaporean school, I'm afraid that she's not able to get used to the British system when we move back.

But I'm a bit worried about the standards of International Schools in Singapore as I've heard some terrible stories about their education standards. Of course, such hearsay might be totally unsubstantiated so it will be good to hear comments from both sides of the coin - parents with children in local as well as International Schools.

Thanks.

[road.not.taken]

I wouldn't be too concerned with the fact that she is half-Chinsese ~ there are lots of kids with mixed parentage in both local and International Schools. She'll fit right in on that.

Since she is only 7, the language issue isn't a big stumbling block as well. You can get her a tutor to compensate if you go the local school route.

We moved here on a 2 year contract (15 years ago!). So you have to be careful there as well.

If she has genuine beahavior issues though, I think the right school is crucial.

If you have the budget and there is room available, I'd consider Tanglin Trust. It is academically rigorous, they have a fair amount of special services, bi-nationality will be a non-issue and it is a British-based system. Dover Court is also a good option.

Having said that, there are probably a dozen schools, both International & local that would be a good fit. I'm wondering.... when you put diagnosed in quotations, it sounds like you have some doubts? I can recommend someone here to evaluate her, might be nice to have a second opinion.

Good luck with your search!

[Recruitment Mandy]

Hi RNT

Thanks for your advice. I will check out the two schools.

Thanks for your offer too. I hope to be able to assess her behaviour first before deciding to consult another specialist. I also believe that behavioural problems can be corrected with parental care and concern.

Which is why, I'm very anxious about the school we are sending her to. Cost is of course an issue as my eyes just widen in surprise just even briefly knowing how much International Schools cost here!

Do most expats here have their children's education sponsored by their companies?

[road.not.taken]

Do most expats here have their children's education sponsored by their companies?

If by 'here' you mean this forum ~ then the answer I think would be 'no'. If you are talking about here in Singapore & specifically western expats coming from Europe, the States, Canada, the UK and Australia, then I believe the answer is still 'yes.' This is changing as Singapore becomes more westernized and expat packages are becoming a rarity.

[k1w1]

Wow. Nothing like a school thread to get the knives out, huh.

Recruitment Mandy, without going into a lot of details here, I can say (through very real experience) that local schools do not have adequate support for students with learning or behavioural difficulties. However, a lot of International Schools are miles behind state schools in many western countries too.

I can recommend a few places that will provide support, and who have trained special needs teachers here. I would strongly recommend you look at the International Schools.

Also, if you can get a diagnosis done in the UK, try and do that. I have spent years trying to put together a list of good clinics/specialists for parents to use. They are around, but they are extremely expensive. I'd imagine that it would be many times more expensive than what you'd need to pay in the UK.

[Recruitment Mandy]

My husband is on an expat deal (includes relocation, housing and tax) but that's about all - we did not negotiate for education fees to be covered as we did not plan to have our daughter here in the first place (did not want to uproot her from the UK to Singapore and back again - thought it might be too overwhelming for her) So I'm not exactly sure if we could still ask for that.

Can anyone roughly tell me the additional fees we need to spend (other than tuition fees) on things like textbooks etc? I have this impression that you need to pay for this and that .. and that all add up to your cost.

Kiwi, is it possible if I could have the list of schools you mentioned? Can you email me or must I PM you? (I do not think I can do that yet)

Thanks.

[k1w1]

Stationery and textbooks are usually included, but there are extra things like school trips etc to cover in International Schools. Also, these schools tend to get really ripped off on things like school lunches and bus trips, where the prices are suddenly ten times what local kids are charged...

I would really try and get schooling included, if at all possible. It's a massive cost. At any rate, these are some other schools that are worth trying:

- German European School (follows IB system, has learning support)
- ISS International School (follows IB system, has learning support)

Plus the two that Road Not Taken mentioned as well. They would be the easiest in terms of curriculum transition, and re-integration when you go back to the UK, but the above two would also be ok at this age.

I'd hazard a guess that it would be far less unsettling for a 7 year old to come here with her parents than to stay in the UK with someone else. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that something like that could possibly exacerbate any behavioural issues she currently has.

[punkkin]

I'm almost afraid to post anything after reading the previous posts but here goes....

We will, hopefully, be moving out to Singapore within the next few months and we have 2 children 6 and 3. We will probably only be in Singapore for about 2 years and one of my children is already well established in the British curriculum and will obviously go back to that when we return. What would be the best school course to take - I had always though International that followed a British curriculum but now not sure. What British schools are available in Singapore - the only one I've heard of is Tanglin Trust. I've also heard good reports of One World International.

All opinions would be gratefully received as I'm just getting myself more confused the more I research it!

Thanks in advance!

[road.not.taken]

Yes, emotions do run high when it comes to schooling for our children. It's important to try to stay focussed on the facts so you can make an informed decision, so you're already taking the best first step. This might be a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Singapore

There are a few British-based schools (more or less) besides TTS: One World International is one, also United World College, Overseas Family School, Emaar.

Your children are so young, it may not matter so much what system the school is based on, so long as it is nurturing a close by.

My advice? Study their websites, make notes and then call them with specific questions.

Good luck

[scarbowl]

Glad to see RNT is back again--wondering when the local school option would bug the crap out of you! I am shaking with outrage right now and can barely type.


I choose to send my daughter to a Singapore school with multicultural students, teachers and administrators so she can learn what it is to be a minority. I did not move my family to Singapore so she could have an American educational experience. As an educator I see the flipside to both systems and consider myself lucky to be able to give my daughter the education she is receiving in a Singapore public school.

Shame on you for making me feel bad for not spending $300,000 on her primary education at SAS. Shame RNT!

You may have made the right choice. But you won't really know until your daughter is an adult and can have a real opinion about it.

But...if the comments make you that mad then you must not feel quite okay about it yourself. Or why would what he/she said bother you so much?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Scarbowl, agitating are we?

For your information, had you gone back far enough, let's say a better perspective you might have at the moment of what has transpired. For the record, I DID put both of mine through the local school system as well. My son is currently in a tertiary institution here but my daughter has finished her proper education and will be 26 in a week and she out in the workforce and is doing rather well I must admit. And having the fluency in multiple language has helped both of my kids enormously. Whether they would have done better or worse in an International School is anybody's guess. A lot of it depends on the parents involvement (in either type of school). If I had it all to do over again, and had the hindsight of what I know now........

I'd do exactly the same thing as the local schools of today are even better than they were when I made the original decision back in the early '80's.

My 2¢

[Recruitment Mandy]

Thanks everyone for the info.

K1w1, you are absolutely right ; we should not have left her in the care of others; hopefully by moving her to Singapore and with the right schooling and care, her behaviour can be corrected.

Just a sidenote, my friend has also enrolled his son to a local school. Previously, his son was in an International School. He did say that his son's English (he's European) improved greatly when he's in the local school than when he was in the international school. Just something interesting to note.

In the end, I think that parents' involvement and influence is the most crucial factor in a child's development.

[punkkin]

Thanks RNT for your advice. That's what I've been doing anyway but it's nice to have someone else tell you your on the right track.

I'll check out your link as well.

Cheers.

[wkwoods]

Wow! I was away for 2 months and looks like there was a lot of fighting! Anyway, I thought I'd just throw in my 2 cents. To me, one of the main differences at the high school level between the International Schools and the local schools is that the International Schools are not or minimally selective, while better local schools are selective and top local schools highly selective.

If your employer is paying the school fees and they are pretty average kids, then you should probably use the international schools. It would be silly to give up a $300K benefit. However, if you are paying yourself, then you should consider the local school system, in particular, if your kids are above average students. The local system is highly geared for talented students and its not just Hwa Chong and Raffles, but also the NUS Science & Math School, Sports School and School of the Arts (SOTA). For example, SOTA offers the IB program from a new $150m building in the middle of town and has staff that are renowned internationally in the Arts. SOTA isn't cheap (about $20K/yr), but its less than international schools and nicely priced for PRs, while providing a unique program. Ivy League Universities know the elite Singapore schools well and visit them yearly to recruit. Raffles and Hwa Chong have among the highest Ivy League acceptance rates in the world.

If your kids are below average academically, you might want to stump up the cash for an international school for obvious reasons. The international schools have top notch teachers and facilities (given their price!) while providing a holistic education for students with a large variety of abilities.

[boffenl]

I was really shocked (no idea why I was so surprised now!) to pull up the US University list of where Singaporeans attend--and it's all top tier schools. You're right that Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Purdue all recruit from the local top tier--they know the local SG kids can do the work and excel away from home.

However much I'd like to think my kid was extraordinary (what parent wouldn't?) she's pretty ordinary and has still really found her stride at a local school. Most of her expat friends who attend local school are also ordinary--none are shockingly brilliant or spooky smart. Just regular ordinary kids enjoying learning and playing together.

While I agree that local school is NOT for every child (esp those with developmental disabilities), with the right research/choice and some luck, almost everyone could find a local school for their kid.

Good luck to everyone in finding the right school for their kid--be it a local school or an international (foreign system) school!