Dear parents,


We are a family based overseas and are planning a return to Singapore in 2023. In the meantime, we are waiting to sign our 13 yo daughter up for SPERS (there is no update on the MOE website yet).

As the international school year ends in June, she would have a good 3 months till the SPERS exam - and a good 7 months or so till the beginning of the new school year in 2023.

We have a tutor coaching her on Maths right now, but we were wondering if there is a group of parents who would like to create a study group for the children. This can be online or even in person, if everyone is in Singapore.

This would definitely help to provide a conducive environment for the children to study together, and prepare for the exam together!

I foresee our daughter being bored and demotivated studying by herself (she has no friends in Singapore) and some positive peer interaction can only be good for the girls!

Looking forward to a positive response really soon!

Hi everyone!


Our daughter is 13 and we would like her to sit for her SPERS exam this year.

Listening to everyone relate their experiences have given a glimmer of hope that our daughter - who has been in international schools all her life - can hopefully do well enough to get to her school of choice.

Does anyone have a tuition centre or a tutor to recommend? What is the going rate? Is there a package fee for something longer term?

Please feel free to message us privately

Thanks in advance

Dear friends,


Thank you so much for your advice !

All of us miss Singapore a lot. Because of this, non-Singaporeans are often curious to know why we’re still abroad.

When we tell them the education system is a major factor, they are always baffled. Some of them even think it’s ridiculous and honestly, we won’t be surprised if we’re ridiculed in private.

Something we never thought about when we took up the challenge to go overseas…

Hi there,


Really glad to chance upon this thread!

We're a Singaporean family who has been away for 16 years. We have two children, 11 and 6, and as you know, are at an important juncture in their lives.

Our oldest, a girl, has never been part of the Singapore education system, having been in international schools all her life. However, she attends class in a local primary school during the summer months, thanks to LOA.

We don't know if anyone can help us here, but here are our questions:

1. Can our daughter's LOA extend from primary school to secondary school? Can she automatically be admitted into Sec 1 at the sec school which is affiliated to her primary school? Her primary school is a popular one, and from what we understand, the secondary school has traditionally only taken students in from the feeder primary school.

2. If automatic admission to Sec 1 is not confirmed, does that mean she either has to sit for her PSLE or SPERS next year? With the latest changes in the PSLE system, and given that our daughter has never been really immersed in the Chinese language, will PSLE be too challenging for her?

Given all the variables at play, and thinking the best for her in advance, this would determine whether we do come home at all!

Thanks to everyone in advance :