Singapore Expats

Hello. Brand new at this Forum. Just found out we're moving to Singapore in July 2009 although my husband will be there in April. Too many questions. I have a 7 year old son and he will need to go to an International School but at this point not sure which one although leaning towards Canadian since that's what we are. What are some good areas to live in? What is the comparison to East vs West side? If we have $3000 per month and want a 3 bed property, where can we afford to live?

Thank you for any help.

There is a canadian int'l school on the east coast but I believe the school has a large mix of other nationalities, mainly Korean. Not too sure whether this puts you off or not but could be a good experience for your kiddie....

That must be the Canadian International School in the East then. I am not put off by a lot of Korean children. Is there a large Korean community in that area or how do you know about all these kids there? Do you live in the West or East part of Singapore and how do you like it so far? Any input you can supply at this point would be great since I am in the dark at the moment. Have you heard about an International Schools that people are happy with?

dear debbie,

just wanted to share my experience. i found out that i was moving to singapore in the new year about 6 months ago. like you, all the different thoughts ran through my mind about the logistics. i took the advice of a singaporean friend who advised me to locate an International School first. after that, the location where you live automatically resolves itself or at least narrow down the choices.

there are pros and cons of each international school and you should do a little research. the thing that is more important, at least when i was researching was the availability of places at the schools. you even have to put a deposit to stay on the waiting list for a couple of them. however, i heard that there are places freeing up due to the economic downturn.

is your budget in sgd or usd? if the former, i think you will find that it does not stretch very far in terms of getting great locations near town. try the forum on the rentals, you will be able to get a better idea about what is reasonable.

I keep trying to post replies but they don't seem to work. Here goes again. Yes, I have been researching the schools for hours on end and trying to narrow them down in order to make a decision. I have lived in England for 8 years but am from Canada so am really missing any connection with home therefore am leaning towards the Canadian School. I'm assuming there will be some similarities to the way I went school. The Tanglin one looks amazing but I am a bit tired of the type of teachers I have experienced in England so not too eager to repeat that in a hurry. I just wanted to know if anyone has been to the Canadian campus or heard anything about it whether good or bad and also if there's a choice, which one would be better? What school did you decide on in the end and are you happy with your choice?

debbie,

i know what you mean about the teachers in uk, i am moving from london to singapore! i can't really tell you whether i regret my choice or not as we have not moved over yet! in fact, my daughter will be finishing the term before joining me in singapore later in the year.

i did take a look around the canadian campus on bukit tinggi. looks alright compared to some of the schools in the uk (not the affluent public ones!). i have found myself an apartment on bukit timah which is close to the bukit tinggi campus. i am also wait listed on United World College as well. i have not heard many complaints about the canadian school. my colleague sends his kids there and is reasonably happy with it.

In terms of location, bukit timah is pretty central but to be fair, singapore is not huge, most places are within 40/45 minutes commute.

Hi there,

You mentioned Bukit Tinggi, which I'm not familiar with. Is that the campus on the West or East side? You also said your colleague is reasonably happy. Do they have some doubts.
Yes, my son goes to a Catholic School here in England and I can't even begin to tell you the problems I've had with the way they treat the children. The scream constantly. It's like being back in the 60's. Haven't they heard about listening to the children and finding out what they are feeling? They are really OLD school and I don't like it one bit. We are very fortunate that my husband's new company is paying for this school otherwise there's no way we can afford it. I'm hoping that considering how much they cost, they will be very good.
Do you mind me asking how old your daughter is? Are you looking forward to going or a bit nervous about the whole prospect of leaving England?

Debbie007,

Please keep in mind that "Cost" is not a good gauge of a school's effectiveness. It's like anything else. There is good and there is exclusivity which does not necessarily translate to good. Also good is a subjective term. While one parent abhors any kind of discipline another embraces it. (depends where they come from and their views of the youths of today. So don't only look at the "nationality" of the school an forget about the amenities or culture of same. Just because a school says it's a certain "Nationality" doesn't mean that it adheres to the same policy in general that is suffered (enjoyed) at home. The best this is to make a preliminary trip over and visit the majority of schools as at the moment most have considerably reduced backlogs (or no backlogs at all at the moment as rnt as mentioned). Visiting the schools and observing would be the best thing as everything said here is subjective at best and biased at worst based on individual perceptions. Also you don't know what will happen economically in the next 12 months so you don't want to put them in the wrong school, the economy turn around and an influx of expats filling up the backlogs again and not being about to move your kids if need be.

sms

Thank you for your advice. I do appreciate what you're saying about everybody having a different opinion based on their background and how their children cope in certain environments. Also good to know that just because a school is from a certain Nationality doesn't mean it caters to all customs. The problem I have is that I won't be able to go and explore before I get there which I know is a big disadvantage. I am going to have to rely on instinct and other people's advise at this point in time. I'll keep my fingers crossed and I suppose if I put my child in a certain school and it really doesn't fit then I can always make a change down the road.