Opinions of the Primary School Registration System

[30plus]

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone so that you can have enough money to stay within 1KM of the school you choose! :lol:

[dorisp]

janet_lee88:

Hi dorisp,

My family are Buddhists...I attended a Catholic primary and sec school. Both kids attended Christian kindergarten...now son in Christian school while daughter is in convent school.

Hi janet

Same here. We are Buddhists. I entered the school via the what we consider \"Phase 1\" now as my elder sis was studying there at the time I am due for P1. My sis entered via the what we call \"2C\" phase now. During our time, there wasn't such phases..........Oops...........hope this forum has no age ceiling..... :rahrah: .....

[janet88]

Hi dorisp,

My kids are in Christian preschool, now they are also in religious schools…no prob with that since I have been through that stage b4. It didn’t strike me that my gal can qualify under phase 2A until a good friend told me to try. Hubby & I were very worried bcos we stayed out of 2km.

[absolut_vodka]

This topic would just go on and on…


IMHO, this PV scheme is really crap. For a professional, it is just ridiculous to WASTE hours being a lollipop (wo)man and gardener or whatever useless tasks - I may not even perform the task well since it is not my expertise.

I spent 11 years in a so-called ‘elite’ catholic school and dh was from a neighborhood school (which has since closed down) and we have a dd and ds - based on this current system, dd (more or less) has a guaranteed place in my alma-mater whereas I have to ‘worry’ about ds not having ‘priority’ so to speak. So is it fair to my ds if I just enrol him in any school whereas his sis gets a more rounded education (yes, I believe that was the focus of my sch - to produce all-rounders and that is what I want my children to be)? Will he ‘complain’ about this arrangement in the future? There used to be a brother-sister school affliation which i understand is no longer in existence. My purpose is to be fair to BOTH my child. Shd I then ‘complain’ that I shd have foresight and married someone else? Or blame God for not giving me two dd instead? Or just forgo my dd’s somewhat guaranteed place and end up ‘fighting’ with others for a place in a neighbourhood school which is not even guaranteed. those trying to get into my alma mater will thank me while those trying their luck with me will curse and swear at me. There is just no pleasing anyone!

My mom has been telling me to forgo this ‘guaranteed’ place to try our luck at securing a place in a nearby co-ed sch so that it will not be so tiring for them to travel to school (east to north) and so my son will gain some sort of priority in the future, which to me is ridiculous, because ALL the co-ed pri schools near where we live are outside of 1km and are all rather difficult to get in (no association whatsoever to these schools and I don’t want to waste time doing mundane tasks)… I was told a particular popular neighbourhood pri sch in the east required a min of 100 PV hrs and some parents even clocked in 600 hrs! Multiply that by a professional’s hourly rate, say of $100 p/hr - is the school better off hiring (a few) people to do what this one PV can do? You do the math!

So what is the best solution for parents like me then?

[daddy2007]

30plus:

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone so that you can have enough money to stay within 1KM of the school you choose! :lol:

Got to bang on the Ang Pao Toto next week!

[tankee]

absolut_vodka:

..... I was told a particular popular neighbourhood pri sch in the east required a min of 100 PV hrs and some parents even clocked in 600 hrs! ....

i do believe you have been misled.

[tankee]

absolut_vodka:

..... a professional's hourly rate, say of $100 p/hr - is the school better off hiring (a few) people to do what this one PV can do? You do the math!....

PV are not for professional only. They are meant for all parents. Not many parents belong to that elite class of having hourly rate of $100/hr.

[janet88]

I feel that if parents want to be Parent Volunteers, they are doing so because they want to understand the culture of the school, have a feel of the school to gauge if they like the environment b4 registering their kids there…thus the professional mentality should be put aside. PVs are parents…as long as one wants and hopes to be a PV, then the mentality of $100/hr should be secondary.

[absolut_vodka]

tankee:

absolut_vodka:

..... I was told a particular popular neighbourhood pri sch in the east required a min of 100 PV hrs and some parents even clocked in 600 hrs! ....

i do believe you have been misled.

Really? That was what the admin staff in the school said when enquiries were made abt being a PV.

[absolut_vodka]

tankee:

absolut_vodka:

..... a professional's hourly rate, say of $100 p/hr - is the school better off hiring (a few) people to do what this one PV can do? You do the math!....

PV are not for professional only. They are meant for all parents. Not many parents belong to that elite class of having hourly rate of $100/hr.

Of course I understand that anyone can be PV - I am just questioning if it is logical to ask professionals to do silly duties like lollipop (wo)man or gardening. And u will be surprised at how many people are earning at least $100 p/hr - my chiropractor charges me $75 for 5 - 10 mins of adjustment and how many patients do u think he sees in an hour. Singapore is moving towards a knowledge based economy isn't it?

And, pls - don't give me the \"want to understand the culture of the school, have a feel of the school to gauge if they like the environment b4 registering their kids there\" - that's bs - most parents have already 'decided' on the schools when they offer their services as PV.