What goes into choosing a suitable Secondary School
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Hey Guys,
I will have to start by saying thank you! Great advice out there that I will definitely have to share with my relative. I feel that sometimes it is easy for parents to forget and regress into the "Primitive Mindset" and start making all decisions for the child.
daisyt Posted: 20 Aug 2009 10:22 Post subject:
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When selecting sec school last year, it was a joint decision between me and my girl. Based on her result, I listed out my criterias and she listed down the schools she liked which were within my criterias.
We went to 3 schools open house and made the following observations.
1) Culture of the school
- the students converse more in English or Mandarin
- the notice boards of a few CCAs, how were they presented ?
- the performance of the CCAs during the open house, eg how well the students know their CCAs and present their CCAs.
- the classrooms decorations and cleaness. From the decos, you can more or less tell if the students are bonded to their class and feel at home.
2) Environment of the school
- the toilets are well maintained ?
- the environment of the school, homely ? comfortable ?
- very important, the canteen. Are there many variaty of foods ? Its very important because your kids would eat in school for breaks and lunches.
3) The students
- the behaviour and attitute of the students
- how helpful, how polite, how far can they make us have the homely feeling
- their attitire, how neatly they wear the uniform, school shoes, hair style
WOW!!
Seems like a very detailed science experiment sort of evaluation, I seriously think some people here should hold talks and start "waking up" those parents who are still in the dark.
Anyone else? -
Can I know from parents who are sending kids to secondary school that are far from home.
How are they coping? Do you feel that you should have chosen closer to home?
I do not have much good schools closers to my home and all good schools are like 45 to 1 hour travel with 2 MRTs or buses. -
Can I know from parents who are sending kids to secondary school that are far from home.
How are they coping? Do you feel that you should have chosen closer to home?
I do not have much good schools closers to my home and all good schools are like 45 to 1 hour travel with 2 MRTs or buses. -
springles1\" post_id=\"2106916\" time=\"1682692399\" user_id=\"142914:
I do not have any experience to share but my child has classmates who take at least 1 hour to travel to school and my child did not hear them complain about the travelling. Some schools need to transfer whether is MRT to bus or bus to bus so it is unavoidable. If not will have to walk 10 mins if no transfer. The question you should ask is if this school is worth the travelling time. Anyway 45min to 1 hour is still acceptable.
Can I know from parents who are sending kids to secondary school that are far from home.
How are they coping? Do you feel that you should have chosen closer to home?
I do not have much good schools closers to my home and all good schools are like 45 to 1 hour travel with 2 MRTs or buses. -
springles1\" post_id=\"2106917\" time=\"1682692413\" user_id=\"142914:
I think 45 min to 1 hour one way is OK if kids really like the school. My kids used to listen to music or Podcast while commuting.
Can I know from parents who are sending kids to secondary school that are far from home.
How are they coping? Do you feel that you should have chosen closer to home?
I do not have much good schools closers to my home and all good schools are like 45 to 1 hour travel with 2 MRTs or buses. -
Not sure where to post my questions as it is not about one school only, so if Admin thinks my post should go to another thread, please shift. Thanks.
Asking for 2 friends who have P6 kids this year.
1. Need some feedback on whether to choose Cedar Girls or St Nicks or SCGS.
2. Also, if a child is not currently in a SAP Pri, will it be hard adjusting joining a SAP Sec sch? Kid is relatively strong in CL, taking HMT in Pri. But parents have never considered SAP Sec before and only started wondering if they should consider, so hoping for advice.
Thanks. -
springles1\" post_id=\"2106917\" time=\"1682692413\" user_id=\"142914:
For me, I will never choose any Sec school that requires more than 45 minutes travel, per journey, 45 minutes, EXCLUDING waiting time for bus / mrt transfer.
Can I know from parents who are sending kids to secondary school that are far from home.
How are they coping? Do you feel that you should have chosen closer to home?
I do not have much good schools closers to my home and all good schools are like 45 to 1 hour travel with 2 MRTs or buses.
Why ?
If u times 2 per day, means easily add up to at least 3 hours spent, per day. Mentally, physically very tiring, exhausted. Not to mention day after day.
Instead, i will try to shift nearer to school,
Unless ...
There is a morning school bus service one way, to bring u to school, before 7.30 mari kita national anthem starts.
Then,
inside the school bus, u still can nap if u are tired . Only the one way back home u can't, since u are taking public transport home.
==≈==========================
Very simple.
The answer lies in, taking a trial experiment yourself, to experience how is it like.
Trial run.
Which is your dream school ?
Try waking up, just for ONE experiment to see how, whether u can tahan, or not. If for one week, u can't tahan, then u already know the answer, right ?
A) say, u need to reach school 7.20 am later. You minus back say, 1 hour 15 minutes, per morning trip. So, what time latest, must u leave your house, in order not to be late for school ? Is it latest, leave your house by 6.15 am, so that u can reach school latest, 7.20 pm,before school Prefect catch u, report u late for school ?
Now, u work backwards.
If by 6.15 am u have to leave yr house,
so,
what time can u wake up ?
5.30 am, to bathe, makan breakfast, etc ?
Test it out, yourself : Mon to Fri
You will know the answer, yourself. -
manorway\" post_id=\"2107535\" time=\"1683257601\" user_id=\"9303:
Just for for your friend to ponder, here are the Top 10 reasons to think about the 3 schools to go or not to go.
Not sure where to post my questions as it is not about one school only, so if Admin thinks my post should go to another thread, please shift. Thanks.
Asking for 2 friends who have P6 kids this year.
1. Need some feedback on whether to choose Cedar Girls or St Nicks or SCGS.
2. Also, if a child is not currently in a SAP Pri, will it be hard adjusting joining a SAP Sec sch? Kid is relatively strong in CL, taking HMT in Pri. But parents have never considered SAP Sec before and only started wondering if they should consider, so hoping for advice.
Thanks.
1. SCGS is independent school while the other 2 are not. So school fees higher. If your friend has no money better don't go to SCGS.
2. Cedar has no primary school affiliation while the other 2 have. So majority already know each other in those 2 schools, especially O level stream students. If your friend is shy and not pro-active in making friends, don't go these affiliated schools.
3. St Nick is SAP while the other 2 are not. SAP is not just taking higher Chinese as the other 2 also need to take Higher chinese if IP, it is also about chinese culture in SAP. So your friend is not into chinese culture, don't go to St Nick.
4. St Nick is Catholic school while the other 2 are secular. St Nick will pray and pray until they get A1 while the other 2 rely on pure hardwork and intelligence. So if your friend is not comfortable with praying to get A1, don't go to St Nick.
5. Since St Nick is SAP, the number of non-chinese in St Nick is unreal in Singapore's multi-racial society, compare to the other 2. So if your friend prefers diversity and real life situation, don't go to St Nick.
6. SCGS has a one piece uniform while the other 2 don't have. Armpit hair will be exposed when you raise your hand in class. If your friend likes this type of uniform, go SCGS.
7. Cedar loves running. The other 2 I am not sure. If your friend likes running, go Cedar.
8. If your friend is very short, don't go to SCGS and St Nick coz teachers and students and even outsiders might mistaken your friend from primary school level.
9. If IP, Cedar goes to VJC while the other 2 go to Eunoia JC. SCGS and St Nick girls will be fighting with each other for CHS's boys' attention while at VJC, cedar doesn't need to share the Victoria boys with another girl school. If your friend likes to conquer and compete for boys, don't go Cedar.
10. LASTLY, lets look at the school's name :
Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Cedar Girls' Secondary School
The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus St. Nicholas Girls' School
If your friend likes anything long, pick St Nick. -
Actually, for point 1, if parents are low income, there are MOE subsidies and other financial support scheme. Can be up to 100% school fees plus allowance, I think.
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Can check out their special programmes and CCA offered too.
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