Singapore Expats

I just moved to Singapore 2 months only. My boy is 20 months. I heard from my neightbour that the International School here are very full. Is there anyone can tell me whether I need to submit the application now? The application fee is very expensive and the school told me that is non-refundable. I find this is very rediculous because the fee is S$2000. Also, do they teach Mandarin in International school? Or just like HK, the Chinese will be only very basic one? I'm very stressed about the schooling here coz I don't know which one is good. Really appreciate if someone can help.

Any moms from HK to help her?

Please check with the school about the application fee. If i'm not wrong, when the school accepted your child's entry, the fee will not be refundable. But however, if the entry is reject, you will get back some of the fee as there will be some admin charges. Anyway, do check with school to confirm this.

thanks so much for your reply.

I talked to the school this morning and they told me that if they take out my child name from the waiting list, then i will get half of the refund. On the other hand, if my child failed the interview, there will not be any refund to me. And i donno why the application fee here is so expensive. I guess I have no choice. I am quite worry my son cannot get into the good school. I am not keen to put him to int'l school. But the thing is it seems difficult for my son to get into the good local school. I heard if you are not old boy or old girls, or no sibling there, the chance is very low.

chocolatecake wrote:thanks so much for your reply.

I talked to the school this morning and they told me that if they take out my child name from the waiting list, then i will get half of the refund. On the other hand, if my child failed the interview, there will not be any refund to me. And i donno why the application fee here is so expensive. I guess I have no choice. I am quite worry my son cannot get into the good school. I am not keen to put him to int'l school. But the thing is it seems difficult for my son to get into the good local school. I heard if you are not old boy or old girls, or no sibling there, the chance is very low.

Most of the local schools are pretty alright. They do churn out bright students. To me, what matters most is how the parents guide their child along the way as they develop their thinking.

Old boys / girls, or having sibling studying in the same school is a plus point, but not a must. The other point that schools take into consideration is the proximity of the child's home. Don't tell me you that you stay in the east and wants your child to travel all the way to RI over at Bishan?

hi chocolatecake,
may i find out which school did you talk to?
as i understand from a fren of mine who's a teacher, yes, schools here do charge a very high appilcation fee for foreign students enrollment, using the 'reason' that, for every allocation given away to foreigners, a fellow singaporean is losing his/her chances in the school. and also, the International Schools here in singapore do charge higher amount than the local schools(so, for the govt, the amount that they charge ain't that high afterall...)

so i would say, it's really a 'just-too-bad' situation here that you're facing now...

oh, and i also got to find out that school fees for foreign students in schools here is about $100+ every month while a local only pays about $70+ thereabt...

hope this helps....

...

koyuli wrote:p.s Mama Choc, I am actually glad that you aren't /didn't get into this one. Interview? I can't imagine if really your boy fail the interview (base on what?) This will be very unhealthy to his emotional and self esteem development because he will grow up thinking he is 'no good', They can sense..

You are right on the part that the child will be inevidently hurt because he can sense that he did not do well on certain things. Which of course may or may not bug him for the rest of his life. But then again, it depends on parental guidance and explaination of the rational for the test.

For me, i don't think there is such a thing as "failing" the test. This tests are built to access the child's educational status and abilities. The MOE do not want to have a case where a foreign educated child is being admitted into a school and then later found to be struggling to keep up with the children of the same level. I'd a few classmates that are from other countries during my primary and secondary school years. And they are 2 years my senior. Studying at the same level then, they'd told me every was too different and it took time to adjust and get use to the system. Mind you, the English level was much easier then compared to now, where every child is expected to have a good command of it. And so, the basis of this tests are for a good cause. No parent will want their child to struggle, get stressed out, and fail their final year exams when they move to a new place. I bet all will want their child to have a good time and enjoy the process.

Ditto...

briceloh wrote: No parent will want their child to struggle, get stressed out, and fail their final year exams when they move to a new place. I bet all will want their child to have a good time and enjoy the process.

Ok ok, i must admit there are more KS parents here that would rather their child take on more than they can handle at that age. Be it for their own good or as a money machine for the parents, i let them decide for themselves.