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friendli:
Agree with Waterbay that the Phase 2A is not fair. Only the contribute alumni should be given the priority rather than the ones who already graduated 30 years ago and never come back to school after that. For top schools, people(alumni) who live very far far away to have their 6 years old child waken up very early to attend the good school. This is not good for the young generation's health and safety, and bad for transportation situation in Singapore at least. Now as Waterbay said, most vacancies are taken in Phase 2A, that means top parents from top schools transfer their priority to their children and left almost nothing(20+20 from 300 in all) to the ordinary citizens. However, where is the primary school get money from? the Alumni or the TAX from everyone?
IMHO.
Most of the popular schools are Govt-aided schools meaning they are financially independent from MOE to a certain extent, they can get money from alumni fees and can conduct their own fund raising, and they tend to grow faster because of the additional money. So phase 2A is supposedly to \"reward\" this group who contributed to the growth of the school financially. -
troychua79:
The question is how much is on their own? Even IP school like RI or Hua Chong depend on MOE for 90% above for funding. And the primary school is compulsory education, not to forget.friendli:
Agree with Waterbay that the Phase 2A is not fair. Only the contribute alumni should be given the priority rather than the ones who already graduated 30 years ago and never come back to school after that. For top schools, people(alumni) who live very far far away to have their 6 years old child waken up very early to attend the good school. This is not good for the young generation's health and safety, and bad for transportation situation in Singapore at least. Now as Waterbay said, most vacancies are taken in Phase 2A, that means top parents from top schools transfer their priority to their children and left almost nothing(20+20 from 300 in all) to the ordinary citizens. However, where is the primary school get money from? the Alumni or the TAX from everyone?
IMHO.
Most of the popular schools are Govt-aided schools meaning they are financially independent from MOE to a certain extent, they can get money from alumni fees and can conduct their own fund raising, and they tend to grow faster because of the additional money. So phase 2A is supposedly to \"reward\" this group who contributed to the growth of the school financially.
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I was at ACS Junior for my son’s registration, there are endless tiles bearing donor names, and these don’t include other donations who don’t have a tile so I can only imagine how much funds were collected.
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It is a fair question to ask whether alumni should get priority when everyone is a tax payer and the schools are mostly funded tax-payers’ money.
I was thinking perhaps a fair solution is for schools who want to give their alumni priority should receive less funding from MOE?
For the sake of illustration, according to the World Bank, Singapore spends about 11% of our GDP per capita annually on primary school students which works out $8100 a year (based on a GDP per capita of USD55K or SGD74K) or about $700 per month.
So maybe schools who want to give alumni or former students priority should have their funding halved? Meaning the rest of the funding will come from student fees which means students of these schools will have to pay $350 - $400 a month (instead of close to nothing right now)?
Will that be fairer? Probably but I don’t like the solution because it’s a slippery slope to go down that path. Because it will not stop a few hundred dollars a month, it will probably go up to the current international school fee of $1000 a month. Then these schools will be truly be the elitist because only some can afford to attend. -
grimm:
The alternate argument is, if schools don't want to leave places for 2B or 2C, they can choose not to receive funding from MOE?
Will that be fairer? Probably but I don't like the solution because it's a slippery slope to go down that path. Because it will not stop a few hundred dollars a month, it will probably go up to the current international school fee of $1000 a month. Then these schools will be truly be the elitist because only some can afford to attend. -
floppy:
Like I said, slippery slope.....who knows what pile of manure we will end up in...
The alternate argument is, if schools don't want to leave places for 2B or 2C, they can choose not to receive funding from MOE?grimm:
Will that be fairer? Probably but I don't like the solution because it's a slippery slope to go down that path. Because it will not stop a few hundred dollars a month, it will probably go up to the current international school fee of $1000 a month. Then these schools will be truly be the elitist because only some can afford to attend. -
I think for Govt-aided schools, the funding from other sources like private fundraising can be significantly higher than the funding MOE provides, which is why they can afford better facilities. Because of the funding from MOE, the students are still entitled to schools fees that are very low for SC. I prefer to stick to current system as it is clearer for us parents to try to get the best option available for your child.
Currently the system is as such;
Phase 1 - child with siblings currently in school
Phase 2A - child with parents who directly involve in benefiting the school in funding or in kind (Boards of directors, alumni, teachers)
Phase 2B - child with parents who indirectly involve in benefiting the school (PV, Church/clan, grassroots)
Phase 2C - child with no link to the school
It used to be worse as the all seat are open from Phase 2A and the good schools usually are fully filled by 2B, leaving nothing for 2C. So instead for arguing whether alumni should be given priority, I think maybe better to see if its feasible to allocate more places for 2B and 2C. -
troychua79:
The problem with giving more places to 2B and 2C means some alumni parents will miss out, as we have seen this year with ACPS.
It used to be worse as the all seat are open from Phase 2A and the good schools usually are fully filled by 2B, leaving nothing for 2C. So instead for arguing whether alumni should be given priority, I think maybe better to see if its feasible to allocate more places for 2B and 2C.
I will have gone ballistic if my son couldn't go back to my old school because someone changed the rules a couple of years back.
frankly I would rather pay more if it gives my old schooldmore autonomy. -
I suppose you can pay more to go international School. If ACPS is full at 2A2, then can go APJS which have left over slots from 2A2.
As more and more parents use the alumni route, it might be common for popular schools with long history to need to go to the ballot box even at 2A. We will definitely see stiffer competition in Dragon and SG50 years.
For me, I choose ALPS for my son as it is nearer instead of my alma mater which is quite far away from where I stay. And I feel that failure to get into a particular school at primary 1 is not end of the world, there are always opportunities to transfer in later.
In life, options are always available, and as long as we as parents tried our best, then I am all right with it. -
troychua79:
If you're an alumni member of ACSP, normally you can't register at ACSJ in 2A2, unless you were from that school too. I think it's possible only if you were in ACSJ from P1-P3 then moved to ACSP from P4 onwards.I suppose you can pay more to go international School. If ACPS is full at 2A2, then can go APJS which have left over slots from 2A2.
As more and more parents use the alumni route, it might be common for popular schools with long history to need to go to the ballot box even at 2A. We will definitely see stiffer competition in Dragon and SG50 years.
For me, I choose ALPS for my son as it is nearer instead of my alma mater which is quite far away from where I stay. And I feel that failure to get into a particular school at primary 1 is not end of the world, there are always opportunities to transfer in later.
In life, options are always available, and as long as we as parents tried our best, then I am all right with it.
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