Singapore Expats

We are contemplating a move to Sg. From Seattle, USA. Weather here is mostly cool..are local school classrooms air conditioned? Worried about how our kids will handle the heat in class. We hv a 9 yr old and a 11 yr old. Appreciate your feedback.

Mostly no. But don't assume you can be admitted to your closest school. See long discussions on local v International Schools Check the MOE website for fees and admission for Singapore schools. Suggest looking into official sources not us amateurs.

It's not like the USA. You can't get in to your nearby school or even one close unless they have filled all the citizenry request. Your fees will be higher, as well. Yes, there are fees for local schools. Not a lot but they aren't free.

Hey there, most neighbourhood primary/secondary schools do not have air-conditioned classrooms. However, several secondary schools have air-conditioned halls, lecture rooms and computer rooms.

Our sprog kids school is freezing I notice some kids wear jumpers! funnily enough in tropic you tend to be more often frozen than hot especially in the, Malls, restaurants, cinemas, cars etc.

Primary school classrooms are usually not airconditioned--however the library and some science labs are as well as the front office. It can get warm--but the kids are all well hydrated and know how to play safely. It was alos one of our concerns--we just keep getting our daughter cool water bottles that she actually uses!

[quote="barneyx"]Hey there, most neighbourhood primary/secondary schools do not have air-conditioned classrooms. However, several secondary schools have air-conditioned halls, lecture rooms and computer rooms.


Which r the schools with air-conditioned classrooms? Do you have a list?

Even if you do have a list, the odds of finds space in those schools will be virtually impossible as they will be taken up in the first round. If there are any spaces left, the second round ballot will surely grab them. Should be some miracle still have a seat left, the third round ballot (PRs) will finish them off. Then you might have a chance but it a ballot so your odds diminish even further. Your biggest worry will be finding a seat in a school. Full Stop. It will probably at the opposite end of the island than wherever you decide to stay, so you need find a school first and then a place to stay.

International Schools (full fee paying - min $24,000 p.a.) are almost all airconditioned.

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to toss in my two cents in case anybody else is interested in this topic:

If a school official says there is air conditioning, ask them how they define "air conditioning." Is it actually central AC or is it a little portable fan that's turned on from time to time? If it's central AC, do they use it daily? And as another poster mentioned, ask if the AC is school wide or just in certain rooms. You might even want to visit the school yourself.

It amazes me how many locals and people who've lived in Singapore many years don't or rarely use AC, even if they have it. People have said my place is cold and I keep the AC in the living room at 24 degrees Celsius during the day when home. I don't think that's cold. But it's all relative and depends on what people are used to.

I've lived here for over 3 decades and have only ever used Ceiling fans in my home. Never aircon. Don't even have aircon installed. However I do have it in my office (open office so I cannot warm it up) and I normally am on the cool side to the point during the monsoon season when the external temps are reduced I sometimes put on a flannel long sleeve shirt over my collared T (Polo Shirt).

BedokAmerican wrote:I know this is an old post, but I wanted to toss in my two cents in case anybody else is interested in this topic:

If a school official says there is air conditioning, ask them how they define "air conditioning." Is it actually central AC or is it a little portable fan that's turned on from time to time? If it's central AC, do they use it daily? And as another poster mentioned, ask if the AC is school wide or just in certain rooms. You might even want to visit the school yourself.

It amazes me how many locals and people who've lived in Singapore many years don't or rarely use AC, even if they have it. People have said my place is cold and I keep the AC in the living room at 24 degrees Celsius during the day when home. I don't think that's cold. But it's all relative and depends on what people are used to.

That's the whole idea - your body gets used to it. If you turned off that aircon and ran a fan you'd be used to it within about 6 weeks.

We only use aircon in the master bed when we are BOTH home - if only one is home we only need the ceiling fan.

January has been a lovely, cool month anyways.

We only use the AC for our kid at night and I am a person who does not like the local climate at al. Fans are more than enough.

The only times I switched on our aircon was on move-in and move-out, just to check whether it works.
Once you get used to the local climate (and dress accordingly), even 27 deg C feels a bit cool!

It's pretty hard to get into local schools if you're not Singaporean, and even if you are - it's a pretty competitive system. If you're thinking of moving here you'll probably have to put them in International School. Unless you can squeeze them into the better Singaporean schools that are "independent", but I have no idea how far they're allowed to admit students, but you probably have a better chance there.

beppi wrote:The only times I switched on our aircon was on move-in and move-out, just to check whether it works.
Once you get used to the local climate (and dress accordingly), even 27 deg C feels a bit cool!

It's an individual manner. Most North Americans would not say this. 27 is tolerable but hardly "cool."