Increased fees for expats with children in Pri/Sec Scho

[yenf]

Hello!

I am a reporter with the local paper and I'm doing a follow up story on the news today about fee hikes for young children of expats who are non-PR or non-citizens.

Am quite new to this area, so was hoping to speak with some people with knowledge and first-hand experience on deciding between local and International Schools for their children.

Please reply on this post or contact me if you can help!

Thank you!

Yen

I'm attaching part of the article here:

TWO measures to draw a clearer distinction between Singaporeans and non-citizens will be introduced by the Education Ministry in a move to enhance the privileges of being a citizen.

First, from July, Singaporeans will get an edge when they have to ballot for places during Primary 1 school registration.

Second, starting from January 2011, school fees for permanent residents and foreigners will be raised.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen announced these changes yesterday during a dialogue at the end of his visit to the Jalan Kayu ward of Ang Mo Kio GRC.

He had been asked by Ms Renee Lim what could be done to help parents get their children into popular schools.

The 36-year-old human resource manager was worried her four-year-old daughter would not be able to get into nearby Rosyth, a top primary school.

Dr Ng's announcement - especially the one on balloting - was greeted with loud applause from the more than 200 residents attending the hour-long dialogue.

However, he took pains to stress that the changes did not mean non-Singaporeans were not welcome in schools here.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's just another way that the government is attempting to drive away the PR's from Singapore's shores for better pastures. Why would anybody want to stay in a country that dangles bait in front of you and then jerks it away. The government is slitting it's own throat but only doing it a little bit at a time. The last couple of years it was reduced medical subsidies. Next year? All because of the crying babies you call citizens here who are too lazy to get up off their arses and work. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter. The government has been their nanny for so long now that as soon as some poor soul "thinks" he's been shortchanged he start crying and the government bends to his wail because they are afraid the opposition might gain some ground.

Frankly, I find it pretty pathetic that a government can be held hostage like it is being done. This wouldn't have happened if LKY were still holding the reins. You need the PR's and you need some of them to become citizens. Otherwise, this country will dry up and return to being a backwater. If PR's, whose male children already have to do National Service for a country that they owe no allegience to, (and even less reasons as each year goes by) decide the government is screwing them even more than they already are (considering their male kids could be killed in the military). Then you will have to import even MORE foreign labour as Singaporeans not only do not like to work, they don't even like sex either. Hence the 3rd lowest fertility rate in the world. Who is going to operate the machinery here? Employers won't hire those over 55 even when they want to work, or they cut their salaries when they hit 62 - even though they are doing the same jobs.

And yeah, as soon as my son finishes his NS, this PR is gone forever cause I've given this country over 27 years of my life and am now getting smacked in the face. Screw this country of whiners. And yeah, my kids attended local schools and would have done so even with the increased rates. But that's another story.

Oh yeah, he took pains to stress that the changes did not mean non-Singaporeans were not welcome in schools here.

Not welcome? BS! If they were welcome, then the whole episode would not have come up. Why should a PR from a regional Country who is extremely smart be denied a place in a good school? You are really making them feel like the country wants them, by relegating them to small neighbourhood schools. Those PRs are really going to want to settle down here as second-class citizens aren't they. For a country that was supposedly a strong believer in meritocracy, it sure doesn't look like it from this side of the fence.

sms

[yenf]

Hello sms, thank you for your reply.

Would you be willing to go on the record for your comments? That would set you apart from the rest of the folk in this "country of whiners".

If so, do contact me at 6319 2210.

If other readers or forum friends have some insight into this topic, or who have children who will be affected by these changes, be great if you could gimme a buzz, appreciate any effort to reach out and share your experiences.

Thank you,

Yen

[sundaymorningstaple]

yenf,

You have a PM and I have already been "on record" for my views.

sms

[xtasy010]

[ScoobyDoes]

I fully support the govt decision to differentiate between citizens and PRs as long as they apply the same logic to taxation and NS requirements.

SMS, having a tough Monday was it? A wee bit harsh in spirit, though maybe not in content because I do tend to agree with you.

Xtasy is also correct, if the PR is being punished by increased costs in schooling and medical why should one be then forced to possibly commit the largest sacrifice for a country not prepared to look at him with the same spirit, with life threatening NS; "It will cost you more to stay than a citizen but we still demand you put your life on the line for us."

The one point, SMS, where your case fell a bit flat was in saying citizens are too lazy to get up off their arses and work. Whilst it is factual, I'm afraid it is like that now all over and I only have to look at the UK for proof. Everybody demanding free schooling (fine), free medical (fine), free housing, dole money and a giro or job......all without doing anything for it.

I think it is generally the new trend in Westernism, and Singapore is catching the bug.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, It was a bit of a rough Monday, but the fact of the matter is, I have already, as noted, been on record back in August on a televised panel discussion on CNA, The topic of which, was about the perceived privileges or lack thereof between PR's & Citizens. That invitation also came about via this website.

And having been here for so many years (and being the HR/Finance Mgr of a medium sized SME). I keep losing staff at double rates because of local who just don't turn up for work or walk off without notice. This causes my quota's to fluctuate so that I end up losing foreign staff (which I really don't want in the first place) as well. As we are a service company, when I lose a local I also lose one of my foreigners at no fault of their own. I would love to get rid of all the foreign staff, especially the S pass holders (1/3rd of my workforce) but I cannot get locals to work or stay on the job. Monday, I had just filed tax clearances for 3 more S pass holders that my quota can no longer support so the timing was bad to say the least!

I apologize to any locals I have besmirched, but I'm sure they also know of many of the type of which I speak. And it's some of the well to do that are crying foul but also insist, when it's convenient, that meritocracy should rule.

You should know me by now......

I'm either or

But usually I'm just being