Page 1 of 1
Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Thu, 04 Jan 2024 9:56 am
by abbby
Was having a gathering and a friend's child is going to enter Primary 1 next year hence enrolling for Primary school this year. She was asking me for advice on choosing the right primary school and we did have differing views on this.
Her primary goal was to enter the child in her ex-primary school (Alumni) as she understood the culture of the school (been there, done that).
My advice was her to enrol in a primary school with secondary school affiliation so this would be an extra blanket for entering the secondary school even if the results wasn't that outstanding (Meet AL20 will do) and you wouldn't really need to go for DSA. But parent volunteering is required for this.
However, I guess she was still bent on her choice...i guess there's no right and wrong, if your child can excel then it probably won't make much a difference.
Plus, always consider the distance from home.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Fri, 05 Jan 2024 8:49 am
by malcontent
abbby wrote: ↑Thu, 04 Jan 2024 9:56 am
Was having a gathering and a friend's child is going to enter Primary 1 next year hence enrolling for Primary school this year. She was asking me for advice on choosing the right primary school and we did have differing views on this.
Her primary goal was to enter the child in her ex-primary school (Alumni) as she understood the culture of the school (been there, done that).
My advice was her to enrol in a primary school with secondary school affiliation so this would be an extra blanket for entering the secondary school even if the results wasn't that outstanding (Meet AL20 will do) and you wouldn't really need to go for DSA. But parent volunteering is required for this.
However, I guess she was still bent on her choice...i guess there's no right and wrong, if your child can excel then it probably won't make much a difference.
Plus, always consider the distance from home.
Most I talk to who are alumni of schools that are in high demand will choose that for their kids… affiliation is just a safety blanket - nice to have, just in case.
In our case, my wife had an alumni connection at a low demand CHIJ in the East Coast, and we decided on SMPS instead, an affiliated school that was closer to home. In our location, it was either that or a neighborhood school. After combing through the data, it was clear that all the high demand schools in our area were not worth taking a chance on balloting.
The other factor to consider, is siblings; if you have a son and daughter like we did, enrolling the first one in a mixed gender school keeps another option open.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Fri, 05 Jan 2024 8:54 am
by PNGMK
Be the best student in a bad school.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Fri, 05 Jan 2024 10:19 am
by malcontent
PNGMK wrote: ↑Fri, 05 Jan 2024 8:54 am
Be the best student in a bad school.
Provided your kid isn’t easily influenced.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 9:32 am
by Pal
That's the concerns for most parents. Be the best student in an average school will be less stressful for the students.
IMO, primary schools are not as influential as secondary schools where the students are early teens. That's the age when students can be rebellious and turn "bad" due to their peers.
malcontent wrote: ↑Fri, 05 Jan 2024 10:19 am
PNGMK wrote: ↑Fri, 05 Jan 2024 8:54 am
Be the best student in a bad school.
Provided your kid isn’t easily influenced.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:59 am
by abbby
@Malcontent: yes you are right, they have a son and daughter so they chose the alumni co-ed school. So that's probably their reason...(my guess).
I would have chosen the dad's alumni school for boy as it's a popular boys school. But I guess they will be choosing the older sibling's school for confirmed entry.
But actually, most of our Singapore's schools are quite good..? Or do you get better teachers in better schools...
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 3:21 pm
by malcontent
abbby wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:59 am
But actually, most of our Singapore's schools are quite good..? Or do you get better teachers in better schools...
You missed the Koolaid… every school is a good school.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 8:44 pm
by the observer
malcontent wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 3:21 pm
abbby wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:59 am
But actually, most of our Singapore's schools are quite good..? Or do you get better teachers in better schools...
You missed the Koolaid… every school is a good school.
I think this holds true for primary school.
But for secondary, the elite schools are head and shoulders above the rest. Entry is by merit.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 9:21 pm
by Pal
Alot of elite secondary schools have affiliation that makes the entry much easier. Not elite school students entered by merit.
the observer wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 8:44 pm
malcontent wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 3:21 pm
abbby wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:59 am
But actually, most of our Singapore's schools are quite good..? Or do you get better teachers in better schools...
You missed the Koolaid… every school is a good school.
I think this holds true for primary school.
But for secondary, the elite schools are head and shoulders above the rest. Entry is by merit.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Mon, 08 Jan 2024 6:34 am
by the observer
Pal wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 9:21 pm
Alot of elite secondary schools have affiliation that makes the entry much easier. Not elite school students entered by merit.
the observer wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 8:44 pm
malcontent wrote: ↑Sun, 07 Jan 2024 3:21 pm
You missed the Koolaid… every school is a good school.
I think this holds true for primary school.
But for secondary, the elite schools are head and shoulders above the rest. Entry is by merit.
The current elite club is RI + RGS combo, Hwa Chong Institution + Nanyang Girls combo. (It’s the raffles JC and hwa chong JC path).
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-a ... -students/
#2 and #5
There’s no affiliation benefits for 3 of the schools. And nanyang primary gets the added benefit of an extra point cut off to nanyang girls.
It’s not exactly much easier, if it’s 1 point.
https://sgschooling.com/secondary/cop/ip.html
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Mon, 08 Jan 2024 6:38 am
by Pal
Ya that's the top schools, I refer to those not that high up but still elite in my view
.
Re: Choosing the right primary school
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 9:15 am
by the observer
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ ... lling-them
Schools like RI and HCI have departments that guide students on their overseas university applications – a tedious process that involves submitting personal statements, attending interviews and keeping track of deadlines to meet.
.