Choosing and Evaluating Primary Schools
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Thx for sharing, glitterpen! From what you have described, your girl is near the top of the kindergarten class in terms of development. Only such kids are picked to be teacher’s little helper. Bossing around means she knows exactly what to do & can see that other kids aren’t doing it lol. For such children, I agree putting them into a more academically-competitive school would do them good. They’d benefit from being stretched instead of always having to sit around waiting for others to catch up.
My boy was the other end of the scale in K2: behind the class in reading & writing (though still within age developmental timeline when considering his year-end birth). Very playful and active, not keen on sit-down classroom lessons just listening to the teacher one-way. All warning signs that he’d not adapt well to P1. We decided he would do better in an all-boys school with affiliation safety net, in case his academic ability didn’t catch up in time for PSLE. -
mummyvolk\" post_id=\"2025772\" time=\"1622461629\" user_id=\"192657:
I have a friend who PV and moved house, hoping to send her 3 kids into a branded pri school (GEP centre).
To share my woes, my parents are against going to good school because they think every school is the same ultimately depends on your kid if they will excel. My hubby initially listen in to trying the good schools, but now his opinion is just go through via the MOE Kindergarten phase and stay put. I feel like moving but if doing so i will be very strong willed to do everything and searching hse etc, and even if i moved, i will move away from my parents so i will not have grandparents help after my move. What a dilemma because i feel like i didn’t have much choice.
When she realized her eldest kid was doing badly in school, it was too late. Finally, she realized that by registering her kids in a branded school and leaving everything to the school and teachers, it does NOT automatically translate into good results.
So when it comes to her 2nd and 3rd child, she did what a tiger mum should do, personally guide them through the school work and pump in lots of money into quality tuition. So her 2 younger ones did much better. Perhaps it’s a combination of both but I guess the ultimate factor is having a tiger mum! -
How long has MOE kindergarten been established? The 1st batch will be going into sec school soon?
Not sure if kiasu parents can have the statistics, that is, how many students who enter RI RGS NYGH HCI come from MOE kindergartens.
Last time there was a study conducted on preschool education. Does it mean that expensive preschools (e.g. Mindchamps) do wonders? The author concluded that such preschools seem more successful because of parents who are willing to pump in the money, time and energy into their children education, to give their kids a headstart in life. Parents are still the key to their kids’ success. -
lee_yl\" post_id=\"2025839\" time=\"1622520423\" user_id=\"17023:
The first MOE kindergartens were https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/moe-to-set-up-15-pilot-kindergartens-over-next-three-years-8340072. 1st batch should be P6 this year.
How long has MOE kindergarten been established? The 1st batch will be going into sec school soon?
Not sure if kiasu parents can have the statistics, that is, how many students who enter RI RGS NYGH HCI come from MOE kindergartens.
Last time there was a study conducted on preschool education. Does it mean that expensive preschools (e.g. Mindchamps) do wonders? The author concluded that such preschools seem more successful because of parents who are willing to pump in the money, time and energy into their children education, to give their kids a headstart in life. Parents are still the key to their kids’ success.
I doubt the preschool (or the price you pay for preschool) is the determinant to how well students do in their primary schools. Children with parents who are willing to invest their time and work with them throughout the education journey are likely to do well. Thus, I agree that parents are the key to their kids' success. -
Hi Glitterpen, my elder girl is like yours, she likes school, during PTC teacher feedback that she is better than expectation, and she takes instructions really well. Therefore this mummy heart of mine would want her to pursue a better school route hoping that she will excel because she has the potential.
When i comparing the current MOE Kindergarten primary school, it is not a well established school, 1st batch of PSLE was 2 years back. It is always over applied in phase 2C. It was known that a good principal lead the first 6 years, the first batch of PSLE showed good grades. But the principal has since been rotated out. It’s ECA is nothing fantastic.
I was hoping the friends and peers that my girl mingle with will spur her to challenge herself more. And with good choice of ECA she can pick up skills aside acedemically. -
aiyoh, floppy and lee_yl. don't liddat leh, my kids don do well it's our fault ah? lol
i know what you all are saying - it is widely acknowledged that parents have a huge role to play in kids' success. have you all been watching the chinese dramas on this topic? many parents are struggling to navigate how much they should do as parents, how far to push, etc. The latest drama to bring this debate to the fore is A Love for Dilemma.
to me, relationships within the family matter a lot a lot. but i guess every family will find its own way. -
Please give our children their due credit for their success in schools. Not the kindergarten, not the parents. Their innate motivation and what they want in life are their keys to being successful.
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It is nice reading all parents’ comments here. As first time parents, i discovered that throughout the journey since my girl born till now 5 years, I did something right and something wrong and some of the wrong things, cant turn back time to fix. You all experiences are very valuable! Hope to learn from you all and make less mistakes lol.
My girl is due for P1 in 2023, I could say that I put in a lot of effort in preparing a headstart for her with hope to lessen/spread out the academic pain when she enters primary level. I feel that my girl is similar to what Glitterpen and mummyvolk described their children in kindy level, lots of compliment from teachers. What I ask her to learn, she learns and she tends to like those subjects with lots of fun. However, when it comes to home time, she is not nerdy/highly responsible type. She doesnt have initiative to study unless I keep asking/begging her to study/revision then she will do a bit with the heart to play and play. English/Math/Chinese, she does quite well but she just doesnt have the initiation to do it by herself because it is not fun.
Now it comes to the dilemma in choosing primary school. I have prepared and plan to send her to a more branded school. It is further away from our house which I feel more academically oriented and well rounded relatively to neighborhood schools around our house. I have personal experience in both branded (academically oriented) school and normal neighborhood school and I really felt the difference. My personal belief is environment really plays a big role in achievement motivation. But with her this kind of personality, I am not sure, as of now if I should send her to the branded school or just let her have fun with more familiar environment (lots of friends from kindy level will be in this primary school too) in the neighborhood school. -
mummyvolk\" post_id=\"2025846\" time=\"1622524031\" user_id=\"192657:
Which school do you have in mind?
Hi Glitterpen, my elder girl is like yours, she likes school, during PTC teacher feedback that she is better than expectation, and she takes instructions really well. Therefore this mummy heart of mine would want her to pursue a better school route hoping that she will excel because she has the potential.
When i comparing the current MOE Kindergarten primary school, it is not a well established school, 1st batch of PSLE was 2 years back. It is always over applied in phase 2C. It was known that a good principal lead the first 6 years, the first batch of PSLE showed good grades. But the principal has since been rotated out. It’s ECA is nothing fantastic.
I was hoping the friends and peers that my girl mingle with will spur her to challenge herself more. And with good choice of ECA she can pick up skills aside acedemically. -
Hi, the schools where their listed ECA matches the interests my girl has.
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