Raffles Girls' Primary

[HVR]

KSP:

Last year I did the same thing as those P3 and P4(1st yr xfer) frustrated parents here. Wrote to the P and had a 1hr session with her. Then she assigned the VP/OM to handle it and they later came back with some answers (not solution) which leads to nowhere.


I think for people who stay far from the school need to be mentally prepared that the child will have to lose some sleep for the travel time when deciding the school for P1 or transferring.

There are a few facts that cannot be changed.

1. There must have a min number of students to justify for the bus route, hence pickup time for all the students need to be taken into account. We can't have a bus which just pick 1 or 2 students and go straight to school, right?

2. The bus has to reach school before 6.45 to avoid the traffic, in fact the traffic starts to slow down at PIE/Eng Neo/Dunearn and even worse at Adam/Bukit Timah/U-turn at NYGH. I used both routes before during the morning peak hr that's why i know. We can debate or reason with the school and operator until cow come home but this is the unwritten rule for all bus drivers.

3. The buses have been assigned to pick up workers as well so they too have to leave the school before the traffic starts to build up along the Dunearn. Even if the school change the operator the same issue will still be there. Reason is simple, they can't survive by just ferrying students.

4. If the bus is \"late\", they will be caught in the jam together with those parents who drive their children to school and there is only 1 lane to turn into the school along Hillcrest.

I would foresee more problems for those who stay far if the school decides to start later when they run single session.

1. The bus company has to give up some workers business to acommodate the school timing but allocate fewer buses for the school. Hence, they may combine more students in a bus which result in longer traveling time.

2. Increasing bus fare is almost certain.

Btw, most of the exsiting students will be graduated by then (2016) but this same old and never ending subject will still be discussed by a new group parents :rotflmao:

I think you and rivervalley have more or less highlighted the pertinent points and restraint faced by various parties. Nothing to do with western culture or depart from tradition but best solution is to get the kids to sleep early.

[KSP]

ooioo:

Hi KSP,


I have thought of many options, but if most parents are able financially and adopt what you say, we will be seeing and adding a long taxi queue outside RGPS every morning.

Instead of helping and solving our own problem, we are adding to a much bigger problem.

Frankly speaking, I almost wanted to do this for her 4 yrs morning session starting P3. I think if it can reach school around 6.45 it won't cause much congestion to traffic. But what i can save is the time she spend on traveling.

I have calculated the total amount for 4yrs is still a small fraction compared to moving house which involve stamp fee and renovation cost etc. But since she is coping well with the morning timing I leave this option aside for now.

I have also tried driving her to school in the morning in the beginning but I were losing 1-2hrs of sleep everyday :frustrated: which make me very tired when come to weekends. I have to rest instead and end up losing more family time.

[KSP]

Funz:

I have also experienced how leaving the house 5mins earlier/later may not mean I arrive at the school that corresponding 5mins early or late. I leave at this time I arrive 15mins before the bell goes off. I leave my house 5 mins later then usual, DD will be late.

Definitely, especially along Dunearn. It's ok if I'm along Hillcrest at 6.45. But if I'm still along Dunearn near NYGH at 6.45 my dd will be late.

She will :heresmyfish: me for not leaving house earlier. Tough life too to be her driver

[Luanee]

ER and ooioo’s names updated on first page.

Tania and Anon, dont mind sharing which levels are ur girls at now?

Any other new parents here??

[KSP]

Oops!!! Checking attendent now.


Who is not here? Please put up you hand.

[rivervalley]

Hi Luanee,


My daughter is in P1.

[moonee]

Tania:

ER:

I hope parents here don't mind my saying my 5 cents share here. I agree sleep and rest is important and it seems to be top on the mind of parents here. Then why not enrol in a school near home? Sometimes, you can't have the cake and eat it too.


I put my girl on the bus because I am a working mum. I am also one who whine when my girl is dropped off 5 minutes later. But if you think about it, do you think the driver not want to start his day later and end earlier too? Everyone is just trying to make a living in an expensive city we live in.

I like yr post too. :goodpost:

Why dun parents enrol their kids in a school near home? :?

agree, after all raffles is just a government school like any other

[ooioo]

Hi Moonee, Tania, ER,

I totally agree with all of you that if given a choice, putting your child in a school near by is the right choice, that is why MOE have the 1,2 km thing for P1 registration.

My girl was from a neighbourhood school, we used to walk to school everyday, then MOE says that she is special and the nearest special school is RGPS. So now i am stuck in this position, else my girl used to wake up 6.50am and is the first few to arrive in her school.

But the giss of the matter is that sch bus transport here sucks big time, why so many parents, who are not well to do enough to drive, and send our kids have to suffer from lousy services.

If the students are working adults and if the school is a corporate/company, they will arrvie only 5,10 minutes before office/school hour starts.

Just because students/ children don’t complaint, their timing is shifted to ridiculous hours and timing

[MummySTay]

ooioo,

Do you mind telling us where exactly you stay?

[kayamilo]

Totally empathise with parents of morning session here. My daughter just transited to the morning session this year (in P3) and has to get up by 5.30am to board the bus at 6.10am. Nonetheless, she has taken it in her stride and is very positive about it.


I’m actually writing to ask if any parent in the Eastern/Central area may be interested in sharing a return cab home on Friday afternoons, when my daughter only gets dismissed at 2.30pm. Otherwise, she ends up having to wait for 2 hours for the 4.30pm CCA bus to bring her home. We live near the Stadium. Please do message me. Thanks!!!