Top International Schools in Singapore

[Canuckdes]

We are potentially relocating to Singapore from Canada and are looking for input on which schools to consider for our almost-5 year old daughter. Could anyone shed light on which school is considered the best for her age, and compatible with the Canadian school system (I suppose IB would be best). Things we have been told to consider are facilities (sports, computers etc), teaching quality, second language instruction, nationality mix.
Thanks to everyone.

[aargon]

Is this a wind up question? how about the Canadian International School?

Please also use the search function - lots of prior discussions on this topic - sorry Mods - I beat you to it!!!!

[sundaymorningstaple]

aargon,

I remember when you first joined this board as well!

Now you know - why the long time regulars sometimes get a wee bit ascerbic in our replies?

Anyway, good to see you around again, you were rather quiet for a while.

[Canuckdes]

I understand your frustration with people not trawling the previous posts, and I will certainly now take the time to do so.

I did want to respectfully say that this forum is supposed to be of help to those who don't really know what to expect from being an expat and "acerbic" comments don't really help. Please try to be patient with us!

And just for the record, I wasn't winding anyone up, and it's not obvious that we would send our daughter to the Canadian School. We have had initial feedback from a Canadian with kids there that this school isn't as highly regarded as some others. I simply wanted to find out which schools to consider from parent/expat on the ground feedback, not from what the school lists on their website.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I think you will find, unless your schooling is 100% covered by your employer, you will find that the costs of a school will have a lot more to do with the enrollment that the actual school itself. For instance, SAS (Singapore American School is currently somewhere above 20K/year/child. Good school I've been told but out of reach of most.

[Canuckdes]

Many thanks sundaymorningstaple.

[scarbowl]

This question is and has been discussed endlessly with a wide range of opinions. Best to review the archives - you'll find a lot there.

[aargon]

aargon,

I remember when you first joined this board as well!

Now you know - why the long time regulars sometimes get a wee bit ascerbic in our replies?

Anyway, good to see you around again, you were rather quiet for a while.

Many thanks SME, I was quietly lurking in the background but still cringing, frowning, laughing and swearing at many of the threads I read.

And yes, I remember my virgin days in this forum. I was young, excited, and naive - hopefully a bit more grown up now - but maybe not!

[scarbowl]

Be prepared for long waitlists. It isn't simply a matter of selecting a school that meets your criteria. It's a matter of finding a school in a position to accept your child. The economic growth here has increased the number of expatriates with children faster than it has increased school spots.

[ScoobyDoes]

I think you will find, unless your schooling is 100% covered by your employer, you will find that the costs of a school will have a lot more to do with the enrollment that the actual school itself. For instance, SAS (Singapore American School is currently somewhere above 20K/year/child. Good school I've been told but out of reach of most.

SMS, even the Canadian now with moving to the new campus later this year is charging from S$19.5k for G1/P1 to S$26.2k for G11 & 12 so it rocketed from being one of the cheaper ones a year or two back to being one of the more expensive.

All the International Schools, though, with the exception of probably CNIS are charging more or at least around that S$20k/year for G1/P1 tuition fees. If you add, for example the Canadian's Building Fund of S$2,354 per year, then you'll rocket up to starting at nearly S$22k per year. Want to pay for the bus as well?



OP, with regards what's good and not good this is very personal but if you want get what is consider a 1st rate school then you'll need a year or two on the wait list. Again though, perception of what is 1st rate is different depending on whom you talk to and a 'herd' mentality kicks in after a while.

With regards frustration...... people on the site will help people that help themselves. Your question was so generic (non-specific) in your very first post on the board I'm sure you just jumped straight in.

[AAAD]

Let me know if you still need more data. We moved to Singapore from Canada few years back. We went through a school selection and are happy to share our experience. At the end up we did not choose CIS. Many reasons behind that: current facilities, new campus "issues" that other posted about already, curriculum that is not really providing any advantage over other schools if you need to move your child back to Canada (and it seems that you are looking at IB anyways).

The cost of any good international school is closer to 30K now (or above for older grades) once you add tuition, bus, building fees, etc.

[boffenl]

AAAD, where did you ultimately send your child? We looked at Canadian as well when we arrived 5 years ago. You can probably find my impressions in another thread. Needless to say, there really is a herd mentality and if being part of the cool crowd (my kid goes to blah, blah blah...) is important (rather than your kids' education) then listen to the crap about top schools; IF the level of instruction and "feel" of the school is more important, go visit them and see for yourself!

My number one recommendation is visiting the schools. Who takes you around? What class do you get to visit? Do the kids look you in the eye and smile? What "extra" stuff does the school do--and how much does the extra cost?

My daughter has just been invited to an academic exchange with Hong Kong and China for a week--in Primary 4. This will go on her long-term record and be an incredible learning experience. Just saying that not all benefits are on the websites. Talk with parents and kids to get the real story!

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

Needless to say, there really is a herd mentality and if being part of the cool crowd (my kid goes to blah, blah blah...) is important (rather than your kids' education) then listen to the crap about top schools; IF the level of instruction and "feel" of the school is more important, go visit them and see for yourself!

^^What a load of total crap!

The only wat to choose a school is look at your personal finances, get all the input you can, visit the schools, look at the statistics and then make a decision. The above 'advice' is so obviously slanted and mean-spirited that I'd write it off completely. Cool crowd? Really? You'd think some people could stop reliving St. Elmo's Fire for a few minutes at least.

[boffenl]

I guess I'm too young for the St. Elmo's Fire jab (I had to Google it to even know if was supposed to be a jab). Not sure what exactly about my post is so mean spirited? Except to say if I have to hear how great XYZ school is again on another thread I may vomit.

My experience is obviously very different than yours MHB--and my kids education ALWAYS come first. I did say that you've got to visit the schools FIRST. There is no use looking at your finances and jumping at the first school you can afford. That is NOT the way.

But to each her own.

[boffenl]

By the way, ScoobyDoes was the first to use the herd mentality idea, I was just agreeing.