Top International Schools in Singapore

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

2 Quick Points:

Getting your child into Harvard, and your child thriving and graduating from Harvard are two different things. The brand name may certainly open doors later on but to use your Walmart/Bergdorf analogy ~ if you buy an unflattering color of lip gloss at Bergdorf's its still not good for you personally.

And 2: I would not trade a house in the Hamptons for using Amy Chua's play book to raise my children, not in a million years. And honestly, I don't know anyone who would. I know they are out there, but I'm not friends with anyone with such a narrow interpretation of success.

[rothhimmel]

Thanks for your note, Ms Bailey

“Getting your child into Harvard, and your child thriving and graduating from Harvard are two different things. ”

[boffenl]

I, the former high school offense and defense squads member who played three years on a team that was not defeated during the period, will know I’ve failed if I ever see my boy in a US-type football uniform. And he WILL want to play if he attends a school that does not celebrate and post students at the top of academic achievement. [/color]

I think this is the thrust of some arguments my husband and I have. He comes from a soviet pre-Cold War education system where rote learning and academic achievements were the only route to sucess (unless you later joined the mafia--but that's a side note). I feel the opportunity my daughter has to dance in the Chingay parade with her classmates and travel to Hong Kong on a study trip in 4th grade far outweigh the considerations if one of her PSLE taking 6th grade classmates scored XYZ on the exam. While the academic rigor is important, the social opportunities afforded her at a local school are important too.

Granted, as a former cheerleader myself, I'd probably curl up into a ball if she decided to pursue that CCA--which thank God has not permeated SG schools.

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

I, the former high school offense and defense squads member who played three years on a team that was not defeated during the period, will know I’ve failed if I ever see my boy in a US-type football uniform. And he WILL want to play if he attends a school that does not celebrate and post students at the top of academic achievement. [/color]

I think this is the thrust of some arguments my husband and I have. He comes from a soviet pre-Cold War education system where rote learning and academic achievements were the only route to sucess (unless you later joined the mafia--but that's a side note). I feel the opportunity my daughter has to dance in the Chingay parade with her classmates and travel to Hong Kong on a study trip in 4th grade far outweigh the considerations if one of her PSLE taking 6th grade classmates scored XYZ on the exam. While the academic rigor is important, the social opportunities afforded her at a local school are important too.

Granted, as a former cheerleader myself, I'd probably curl up into a ball if she decided to pursue that CCA--which thank God has not permeated SG schools.

At last boffenl and I seem to agree on something. Academics can't be the only yard stick. If your child is unhappy at SAS, or a local school or Harvard they won't be successful. The other stuff matters: extracurriculars, school cultures, teaching methods, etc.

The right school would find the talents in children whether they were academic, athletic or both. Good schools and savvy parents realize there is no need to choose between the two. Plenty of varsity athletes marching off to the Ivy League with near perfect SAT scores. This is both the beauty and the curse of the current trend. Kids have to be well-rounded to the extreme.

I ended up with 2 rugby players in a school that offered US Football, baseball, cheerleading, etc.. I never gave it a second thought, I guess I just figured it was their job to choose and my job to help them be successful. It's really hard when they are little to understand how quickly the active years of parenting go by and how ~ no matter how much we may try, they are their own people, 100%. They are not miny versions of us.

[rothhimmel]

Thanks for the notes, ladies …

>> I feel the opportunity my daughter has to dance travel to far outweigh the ability of a fellow student to post a higher grade.

>> At last boffenl and I seem to agree on something. Academics can't be the only yard stick.

… and I don’t disagree with your either of your thoughts, in fact I heartily embrace the notion that culture, particularly a broad, tall structure of social development in a school is the foundation attribute and force in the ability of a community, a school to serve it’s primary charge to educate students.

As I recall the instigation that grew this branch of the topic is comment that I, along with other parents and students, am eager to patronize MOE schools … a system, an educational culture profile that produces students who demonstrate traditional academic achievement somewhat, say, in round numbers 100%, above “western”

[rothhimmel]

.. regrets I ran out of space:

Mary Hatch Bailey wrote:
>>“plenty of varsity athletes march off to the Ivy League with near perfect sat score. <<

Wow, that’s great news. Can you point me to numbers that sketch the idea?

[Dalia]

I, the former high school offense and defense squads member who played three years on a team that was not defeated during the period, will know I’ve failed if I ever see my boy in a US-type football uniform. And he WILL want to play if he attends a school that does not celebrate and post students at the top of academic achievement. [/color]

I think this is the thrust of some arguments my husband and I have. He comes from a soviet pre-Cold War education system where rote learning and academic achievements were the only route to sucess (unless you later joined the mafia--but that's a side note). I feel the opportunity my daughter has to dance in the Chingay parade with her classmates and travel to Hong Kong on a study trip in 4th grade far outweigh the considerations if one of her PSLE taking 6th grade classmates scored XYZ on the exam. While the academic rigor is important, the social opportunities afforded her at a local school are important too.

I do not have the luxury to choose between local and private so I cling to your every word and hope you are right.

I looked into the end of the school year exams for the P1 students and almost fainted. There were some hard cord stuff in it. I was also brought up on the soviet union type of schooling and do like some of the aspect of it but P1 curriculum still looks scary to me.

[rothhimmel]

Mary Hatch Bailey wrote:
“The right school would find the talents in children whether they were academic, athletic or both. Good schools and savvy parents realize there is no need to choose between the two. Plenty of varsity athletes marching off to the Ivy League with near perfect SAT scores. This is both the beauty and the curse of the current trend. Kids have to be well-rounded to the extreme.”

[jshin]

this is a topic that is at the top of any new expat parent, so i wonder why it was never made a sticky...

the sheer number and variety in approaches and quality of education (both social and academic) makes the process of finding and getting enrolled in a 'good' school labrynthine.

i'd like to find a comprehensive list of int'l schools with grade levels offered, number of students in each level, an idea of student composition, teaching approach, extracurriculars offered, faculty ratios and qualifications,... these aren't the sole metrics by which we'd make a decision, but they should still be known without having to search out each school one by one.

but at the end of the day, i've found that a child's academic performance is most highly deteremined by the expectations of his/her parents and teachers. several people have told me that most of the higheset scoring kids in the International Schools are the asians.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Might a list of such a nature be detrimental? In abstract it would be good, but in reality, most school choices in Singapore are ultimately made up solely based on a) cost; b) educational system, e.g. British, American, IB, etc; and c) waiting list. c) often is the deciding factor unless they are well versed and have the ability to home school while waiting.

[jshin]

with many int'l schools doing a way with rolling/advanced applications and waitlists, info like this would be very useful.

1. it would help identify some schools that might otherwise not get considered
2. help in creating a first cut list of schools to look into

[sundaymorningstaple]

What school has done away with their wait list?

[rothhimmel]

... why it was never made a sticky...

What's "a sticky?"

I'd like to find a comprehensive list of int'l schools with grade levels offered, number of students in each level, an idea of student composition, teaching approach, extracurriculars offered, faculty ratios and qualifications

Sounds like a westerner"s version of data and tables offered by Kiasu Parents, a way-useful compendium to use in the MOE school vetting process.

... several people have told me that most of the higheset scoring kids in the International Schools are the asians.

It wouldn't surprise me. A mix of anecdote and hard numbers suggest that the same is true in school systems in the west.

[rothhimmel]

...Might a list of such a nature be detrimental? ..

Hard to imagine how an increase in knowledge on any subject can be "detrimental" to someone seeking it.

Of course the increase of market knowledge suggested by JShin can reveal that various schools, purveyors of education, do not deliver competitive services.

Likely those schools wish to conceal facts of omission from education shoppers ... so comparative data can be detrimental to those institutions that do not offer competitive services.

... abstract it would be good, but in reality, ...

No matter that some use flawed reasoning to make choices, more information is always better than less.

[boffenl]

You're right SMS. The decision for expats on schools here must have a more flexible criteria than just international surveys and rankings. As SMS mentioned, there are multiple factors that would sway parents one way or another. Not just the best school system, but the best system for their kid.

Just to quote myself again.

You CAN NOT rely on data and statistics alone. You MUST visit the schools and make sure they are applicable for your kid. If you're lucky to have a kid that does well in a large school (SAS, OFS) then those would be on the top of your list, if you're looking for a smaller school environment (ISS, SJII) then it's a different list.

The school choice is such an important decision, it can't be left only to numbers.