Any other alternative to govt pri schools?

[jellybeanz]

Hi parents,


I am a stay home mum who relocated back to singapore 4 years ago. My older 2 are now in primary school and are in a ‘branded’ school (a reputable good school). Although I am a stay home mum, I do not have a lot of time to coach my kids as I have an online business to run as well and also have to look after my mum in law who has some health problems. I thought putting my kids in a reputable school will help make sure tt their learning will be taken care of to a certain extent but I find that this is not the case at all.

I find that the teachers in this school do not teach very well, for my youngest they just write the answers on the board without explaining. For my older one, the teacher teaches but I find the teacher cannot teach the exceptions to the rule well so when the questions are a bit more difficult, my dd has problems.

I have sent my kids to tuition but tuition is only 2 hours a week (at the most) for one subject and I do not have that much time to stretch and teach them.

I have heard many complains about other schools that my friends put their kids in. Seems like the teachers do not really bother to teach very well and those teachers who can teach very well are put in the upper primary best class to produce results.

I understand that of couse teachers are human and not all of them will teach very well but I am wondering if there is any alternative to public schools. In the States where my dh was based, there are many alternatives to public school. So I am thinking if I am trying to find an alternative, is there any (besides home schooling).

[ANobleNerd]

Hi Jellybeanz,


I homeschool my eldest, who will be taking his PSLE this year.

Due to the Complusory Education Act, there really is no true alternative school for Sg Citizens in the primary years.

That said, what kind of alternative school were you thinking about?

The only 'private' schools for primary level opened for Sg Citizens are San Yu Adventist school and the madrasahs. The Victory Life School offers a different US curriculum which doesn't lead the child to doing the PSLE. Nevertheless, all Sg Citizens will have to sit for the PSLE - and for those not in the government school system, they will have to pass the PSLE within the first 33rd percentile for that year, otherwise they will have to resit for the exam until they turn 15.

I'm not sure about San Yu and the madrasahs, but at Victory Life, you needn't pass the PSLE to advance in their curriculum to do their High School curriculum. The PSLE is a placement exam for the Sg curriculum, which is partly why some homeschoolers using a non-Sg curriculum would just take the paper as a formality and not focus too much on doing well on it. For homeschoolers intending to return to Sg schools or using the Sg curriculum as the basis of their homeschool, then preparing for the PSLE takes precedence.

There are some in the homeschooling community who does partial homeschooling. For them, their children attend school, but comes home to be homeschooled in the curriculum their parents feel strongly about. Their children attend school \"minimally\", ie. they opt out of remedial, supplementary classes, CCAs etc and they get penalised for not going along with the school's programme. Some of them might even go so far as to apply for leave of absence for a term or two, returning to take the semestral exams. In doing so, these families keep their kids in school to follow the 'law', but have a different curriculum and education focus tailored for their children as part of their educational journey.

[meinteel]

Hi Jellybeanz!


You may wish to contact the numerous international schools in Singapore (American, United World College) as they have campus here. They offer great programs up till secondary levels. However, their fees are much higher and the waiting list tend to be very long.

Im guessing home schooling is not an option for you since you have an online business as well as an elderly who requires constant care.

[tamarind]

jellybeanz:

Hi parents,


I am a stay home mum who relocated back to singapore 4 years ago. My older 2 are now in primary school and are in a 'branded' school (a reputable good school). Although I am a stay home mum, I do not have a lot of time to coach my kids as I have an online business to run as well and also have to look after my mum in law who has some health problems. I thought putting my kids in a reputable school will help make sure tt their learning will be taken care of to a certain extent but I find that this is not the case at all.

I find that the teachers in this school do not teach very well, for my youngest they just write the answers on the board without explaining. For my older one, the teacher teaches but I find the teacher cannot teach the exceptions to the rule well so when the questions are a bit more difficult, my dd has problems.

I have sent my kids to tuition but tuition is only 2 hours a week (at the most) for one subject and I do not have that much time to stretch and teach them.

I have heard many complains about other schools that my friends put their kids in. Seems like the teachers do not really bother to teach very well and those teachers who can teach very well are put in the upper primary best class to produce results.

I understand that of couse teachers are human and not all of them will teach very well but I am wondering if there is any alternative to public schools. In the States where my dh was based, there are many alternatives to public school. So I am thinking if I am trying to find an alternative, is there any (besides home schooling).

Your best option is still to continue to in public schools, but send your kids to as many tuition and enrichment classes as possible This is how all other parents in Singapore cope, except for those parents who can spend time teaching their kids at home.

[Yckuan]

Any one sent their kids to sanyu adventist? Thinking of enrolling my girl in pri one

[kitty2]

ANobleNerd:

Hi Jellybeanz,


I homeschool my eldest, who will be taking his PSLE this year.

Due to the Complusory Education Act, there really is no true alternative school for Sg Citizens in the primary years.

That said, what kind of alternative school were you thinking about?

The only 'private' schools for primary level opened for Sg Citizens are San Yu Adventist school and the madrasahs. The Victory Life School offers a different US curriculum which doesn't lead the child to doing the PSLE. Nevertheless, all Sg Citizens will have to sit for the PSLE - and for those not in the government school system, they will have to pass the PSLE within the first 33rd percentile for that year, otherwise they will have to resit for the exam until they turn 15.

I'm not sure about San Yu and the madrasahs, but at Victory Life, you needn't pass the PSLE to advance in their curriculum to do their High School curriculum. The PSLE is a placement exam for the Sg curriculum, which is partly why some homeschoolers using a non-Sg curriculum would just take the paper as a formality and not focus too much on doing well on it. For homeschoolers intending to return to Sg schools or using the Sg curriculum as the basis of their homeschool, then preparing for the PSLE takes precedence.

There are some in the homeschooling community who does partial homeschooling. For them, their children attend school, but comes home to be homeschooled in the curriculum their parents feel strongly about. Their children attend school \"minimally\", ie. they opt out of remedial, supplementary classes, CCAs etc and they get penalised for not going along with the school's programme. Some of them might even go so far as to apply for leave of absence for a term or two, returning to take the semestral exams. In doing so, these families keep their kids in school to follow the 'law', but have a different curriculum and education focus tailored for their children as part of their educational journey.

Does you kid go to school as you mentioned some do.Please share more about your kid's curriculum .My friend's kid is taking ACE.

Thanks for sharing

[Violetmum]

Yes interested to know more about homeschooling

[ridcully]

Violetmum:

Yes interested to know more about homeschooling

It is not an easy path to take in Singapore. At the institutional level, MOE wants all citizen children to attend state primary schools so that they have a common experience, which is understandable of course. At the societal level, many Singaporeans parents consider parents who home-school to be a bit - how shall I put it? - 'strange'. After all, Singaporean schools and teachers are the best in the world, right? In any case, both parents want to work and earn oodles of money - can't spend time at home with the lovely children.


Unlike the UK and most states in America, home-schooling in Singapore is closely regulated by MOE. Singaporean home-schooled children are required to sit the PSLE and pass at the 33rd percentile (which corresponds to a score of 191 - a higher passing standard than for mainstream children). In addition, the home-schooled children must meet the objectives of National Education, which is interpreted as passing the National Education Quiz.

MOE's regulation concerns the suitability of the parent giving the teaching and the need to pass the PSLE subjects. MOE does not, however, dictate the curriculum per se nor determine the method of teaching and assessment.

Why do parents do it? Mostly, it is the desire to give a broader, more customised and personalised educational experience, usually embedded with moral values, to their children.

MOE's website:
http://www.moe.edu.sg/initiatives/compulsory-education/exemptions/

Rgds
R

[ridcully]

ANobleNerd:

I homeschool my eldest, who will be taking his PSLE this year.

Did your eldest enjoy the NE Quiz yesterday at North Buona Vista?


Rgds
R