S'poreans to get priority for P1 places during balloting

[1amber]

janet_lee88:

Giving priority to Singaporeans is long overdue. Singaporeans work hard to gain recognition. Not getting to vote doesn't matter much to most PRs. But education here, especially Singaporeans is very impt.

This new move has nothing to do with punishing PRs. If PRs truly want to have a share of prosperity, it would be nice to consider sinking roots by converting to be a SC.

:celebrate:

[KSP]

The changes will not affect P1, P2A1 and P2A2 coz no balloting has ever be conducted during these phases. It will only affect those PR going for P2B and P2C in popular schools where balloting is required.


Those affected most are PR who have bought houses near their desired schools and/or PV. Probably chances for PR getting into a popular school will be closed to zero coz SGporean staying >2km will also want try their luck. Vacancies from popular schools will all be taken up after 2C for sure.

[janet88]

KSP:

It will only affect those PR going for P2B and P2C in popular schools where balloting is required.


Those affected most are PR who have bought houses near their desired schools and/or PV. Probably chances for PR getting into a popular school will be closed to zero coz SGporean staying >2km will also want try their luck. Vacancies from popular schools will all be taken up after 2C for sure.

Phase 2B/C are the two phases parents are always unhappy with. So with this big change, parents especially SC will be more pleased ? Ultimately, it boils down to luck whether their kids get into schools now.

PRs in any country should be aware they always stand behind the citizens of the host country. So the idea of Singaporeans FIRST should not really hit them too hard.

[mu ze]

I think you will be surprised why so many 3rd level primary school become to 1st level after 6 years. things are always changing.


阿弥陀佛

[mu ze]

A little bit unhappy is that my sons will need to go a long way to school, coz their is a popular school near my block.

[Freesia]

Hi Snaw,

People like Jim Rogers are rare. Also, he used the PV route which is still available.
Top decision maker in MNCs rarely put their children in local schools. They put them in international schools like UWC which is also one of the best ranking in the IB after ACSI. At least in my workplace, it is like this. On my floor and a few other floors; those PRs who sits in the room and make key decisions; all their kids are in international schools. They do not like the drilling of the local schools. They also do not give up their citizenship as their kids can go the UK or US to do their college at subsidized fees and other perks.
I have some PR friends who told me that they will leave Singapore when their children is in their senior high. They try the local system for now and if all things fail; they say thay can go to the international schools, then boarding schools in the West etc. These friends kids are in top schools.
As a Key decision maker of a MNC, the wage is of considerable amount and as such will also have less of a financial issue to consider, no?
Whereas for SC; we only have 1 choice and that is to register in a local school.
As such, I think this change has minimal impact on the Top end of the foreign talent. Thinks this will affect the lower end fo the management of foreign talent in a MNC. For now, at least, my poor colleague who stays in Bukit Batok HDB has much lesser of the hassle to fight with the huge numbers of PRs residing around her blocks of flat for a place in a school right next to her block

[absolut_vodka]

Agreed. I think SC can generally differentiate the genuine contributors to the SG economy vs those who who are leeches and the angst is definitely NOT targeted across all nationalities.


We can compete on skills/ability but ridiculous to compete on cost. Many of these neighboring country 'talents' don't even have proper credentials to begin with. I have said this before, not discriminating and just stating a fact - Since when the Philippines universities become so good that the pple can move from being domestic helpers to white collar workers?

limlim:

snaw:

If Singapore keeps forcing the issue with moves like this I'll leave, there are plenty of other countries which would value my skills and aren't quite as hostile as Singapore is starting to appear to be to foreign talent.

countries like.. your own? (juz a remark, no intention to be sarcastic or anything..)

it may be a political move.. you can't run away from that..

One comment on the hostility.. most are not against real talents who can contribute to the community.. but rather cheap PMET labour from pinoy land, abnn land or tiong land or the like.. who come here in hordes to compete with locals for jobs..

I doubt UK employee or Aussie employees will cost less than locals..

But pinoys, abnn & tiong more often than not will be much cheaper.. plus no NS obligations..

FT is just a general term.. the hostility is most likely not targeted at all FTs.. I doubt the number of European FTs is significant anyway.. compared to pinoy, abnn & tiong land..... to cause any distress to locals..

All along, there have been FTs from other parts of the world and there was never much resentment.. only recently the influx from pinoy, abnn & tiong than got so many complains..

Hence, no need to be bothered by those comments against FTs that you see in other forums..... I feel..

[mu ze]

all the PR pls give you and your children internal power, Buddha do not see result only see the reason.

[snaw]

Freesia:

Hi Snaw,

People like Jim Rogers are rare. Also, he used the PV route which is still available.
Top decision maker in MNCs rarely put their children in local schools. They put them in international schools like UWC which is also one of the best ranking in the IB after ACSI. At least in my workplace, it is like this. On my floor and a few other floors; those PRs who sits in the room and make key decisions; all their kids are in international schools. They do not like the drilling of the local schools. They also do not give up their citizenship as their kids can go the UK or US to do their college at subsidized fees and other perks.
I have some PR friends who told me that they will leave Singapore when their children is in their senior high. They try the local system for now and if all things fail; they say thay can go to the international schools, then boarding schools in the West etc. These friends kids are in top schools.
As a Key decision maker of a MNC, the wage is of considerable amount and as such will also have less of a financial issue to consider, no?
Whereas for SC; we only have 1 choice and that is to register in a local school.
As such, I think this change has minimal impact on the Top end of the foreign talent. Thinks this will affect the lower end fo the management of foreign talent in a MNC. For now, at least, my poor colleague who stays in Bukit Batok HDB has much lesser of the hassle to fight with the huge numbers of PRs residing around her blocks of flat for a place in a school right next to her block

Again, don't disagree about top decision makers though it's not always how it immediately impacts them but also how it impacts the people they employ. There are exceptions - I'm not at a level high enough to influence where my company concentrates resources in Asia, but my boss is and his kids are in local school. My wife also is a regional head, she would too. For us it's not a financial thing to sent kids to local school.

I genuinely understand where it's come from and why as an SC you'd be glad this happened (Though in UK there is no preference to nationality - it's all based on distance from school, no ballots at all).

My only real concern now is that I think this has completely changed the admissions dynamic, and all previous years and history etc can no longer be relied upon to make informed decisions on which school to send your kids to. I think this will apply as much to SC as PR and non PR, and you're going to end up with schools all SC and some with concentrated PR's a tier down but which may change rapidly because of this. All just guesswork at this stage, it'll take a few years to really see what happens I think.

[JGMum]

Angelight:

Dear Mr snaw,


I can understand your unhappiness and frustrations at the new ruling even though I'm a SC and proud of my citizenship. But in life, you gain some, you lose some. For many SC like me, this new ruling is long overdue, that's why we all welcome it with great gusto. Hope you don't feel offended at our joy as parents who just want the best for our kids.

I guess in life, one has to make several sacrifices, with some bigger than others. If you and your wife are not willing to give up your foreign passports to become SC, then you just have to accept the consequences that come with it. Just like if I were to go live in UK or Australia, I will also not enjoy the same kind of privileges that the citizens there have.

I think our govt has been very open to foreign talents. Otherwise there won't be a huge influx of foreign talents, PRs here over the past decade. But in a small limited nation like ours, there has come the time when our govt has to put the interests and welfare of SCs first. It's not about ostracising, it's about priorities. And I believe this is the same everywhere in the world.

Very well-said. :goodpost: