<![CDATA[Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom]]>Hello, I’m relatively new to Singapore.


How do local parents typically scope out the schools? I called one asking if I could come by and check it out, but I could tell this was not a normal request as the staff member seemed confused. I’ve sent emails asking questions but often get no response or I’ll get a response back that never quite answers my questions. And I don’t see any information on Open Houses (maybe it’s not the season for it yet?).

So I’d like to ask the locals… what is your process for selecting a Primary school?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/10630/mummy-expatmom-hi-from-a-newbie-expat-momRSS for NodeFri, 01 May 2026 06:35:25 GMTWed, 05 May 2010 09:59:54 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Tue, 11 May 2010 03:08:52 GMT]]>

ExpatMom:
Thank you for all of this great information! I have been calling and emailing the schools, but have had difficulties understanding the staff over the phone and most schools don't seem to want me to come in to discuss. It's been a very frustrating experience. 😕 I don't understand why the schools here don't seem to feel it's important to have open houses so that parents can make informed decisions.

I think its quite a busy period for schools now due to tests and exams. Perhaps you can try sometime towards the end of May. Sch holidays begin on the 29th.

Another avenue is to check their websites regularly. They do post information pertaining to Open Houses, if they intend to have one 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/182165https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/182165Tue, 11 May 2010 03:08:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Tue, 11 May 2010 03:02:54 GMT]]>Thank you for all of this great information! I have been calling and emailing the schools, but have had difficulties understanding the staff over the phone and most schools don’t seem to want me to come in to discuss. It’s been a very frustrating experience. 😕 I don’t understand why the schools here don’t seem to feel it’s important to have open houses so that parents can make informed decisions.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/182158https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/182158Tue, 11 May 2010 03:02:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Sat, 08 May 2010 04:26:38 GMT]]>:lovesite: :welcome: :lovesite:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/180058https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/180058Sat, 08 May 2010 04:26:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Fri, 07 May 2010 07:46:05 GMT]]>KSP :welcome: you to KSP

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/179369https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/179369Fri, 07 May 2010 07:46:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Thu, 06 May 2010 17:48:45 GMT]]>Hi, just another avenue for you to consider...mission or government aided schools. They have a good mix of cultures and nationalities. Chances are there are a couple of other expat kids or kids with mixed parentage/nationalities at these schools. Curriculum wise they run like all other local schools. As for Mandarin, your kids can be exempted from it based on nationality. Whether or not the school allows him to attend lessons and not be graded really depends on individual schools/teachers. I wanted my boy to continue with lessons despite exemption but the teachers at his school were concerned about how the other kids would respond if one of their mates was attending lessons but didn't need to sit for exams. So in the end he skips lessons altogether.


Having said all that, I have taught in various international schools here where the kids take Mandarin as a 2nd Lang and they do so well it puts me to shame. I'm Chinese. So it may very well turn out that your son has a flair for the language and copes really well. You never know 😉

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/178815https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/178815Thu, 06 May 2010 17:48:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Thu, 06 May 2010 03:02:43 GMT]]>:welcome:

ExpatMom:
1. My son's mother tongue is English.... Will he be tested next year at the same level of Mandarin as other kids who have been speaking Mandarin since they first starting to speak?
He will be tested like all other children in Singapore. However, schools nowadays group students according to their level of proficiency. They have three modules in terms of the way they teach Chinese - Basic, Core and Enrichment (if I remember correctly). For students who are weak in Chinese, 20% of their time will be spent on the Basic module while 80% will be spent on the Core module. For students who are stronger in Chinese, 20% of the time will be spent on Enrichment module while the other 80% goes to the Core module. Implementation of this differs according to schools. You will have to find out from the school of your choice how they implement this exactly.
ExpatMom:
2. How diverse are the public schools?..
Well, I suppose you don't actually have that much choice, given the fact that your child only qualifies in Phase 3. Go through last year's balloting history, shortlist the schools with vacancies in Phase 3, and go to the Parents' Networking Groups in this forum to find out more about the schools.
ExpatMom:
3. How do you go about getting a look at the school? Are there typically open houses?...
Open house normally happens in the month of July, just before the start of the registration exercise. Not that many schools organise open house, though. You may like to call up the school of your choice to enquire whether they have any open house. If not, perhaps you would like to try to see if you can speak to the principal of the school?

Good Luck!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177484https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177484Thu, 06 May 2010 03:02:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 16:00:38 GMT]]>

Way2GO:
First thing first

A warm :welcome: to SIN n KSP.

Ur eldest is 5 yo.
Normal entry age for P1 is 7 yo,
so u still hv time on ur side.
Yes, he turns 6 this year. He will go into P1 next January.

Way2GO:
hv u considered d International schools if ur budget alllows?
By comparison, local schools is a real bargain.
Before moving here I learned Singapore has one of the best public school systems in the world. Couple that with the fact that the classes are in English and it's a pretty easy choice. If my kids can get an excellent education from the public school system (even in a school with a \"bad\" rating), why spend a ton of money to stick them in an International school?

The other side to that is that I want my kids to be in school with the locals. Some forms of education come from books and other forms come from experiences. They will learn a lot from being around kids from different backgrounds.
Way2GO:
There is a wealth of info on P1 registration at KSP site.
If u r looking at local schools,
u shld check with individual primary schools too.
But be prepared mentally dat some primary schools
r not used to such inquires from expats.
Good luck.
Yes, I noticed. Well, it doesn't hurt to ask!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177108https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177108Wed, 05 May 2010 16:00:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 15:48:02 GMT]]>My son is already learning Mandarin and has incentive to do so since he wants to communicate with the other kids in his preschool. He has an interest and a reason to learn it, so it’s probably best if he pursues it. I’m not sure how long we’ll be staying in Singapore, but it’s possible that it might be through secondary school so I suppose it’s best to try and prepare him just in case.


I have a daughter (2.5 yrs old), but I’m less concerned about her as she is already coming home from preschool and saying strange things to me in Mandarin. She’ll probably be fluent before him at this rate.

Interesting tip about diversity-- that definitely makes sense. I will go back and review the choices.

Thank you for the useful advice!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177090https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177090Wed, 05 May 2010 15:48:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 15:31:11 GMT]]>First thing first

A warm :welcome: to SIN n KSP.

Ur eldest is 5 yo.
Normal entry age for P1 is 7 yo,
so u still hv time on ur side.

hv u considered d International schools if ur budget alllows?
By comparison, local schools is a real bargain.
There is a wealth of info on P1 registration at KSP site.
If u r looking at local schools,
u shld check with individual primary schools too.
But be prepared mentally dat some primary schools
r not used to such inquires from expats.
Good luck.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177079https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177079Wed, 05 May 2010 15:31:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 14:32:08 GMT]]>Hi ExpatMom,


I’m American and my husband is local. Both my girls are in the local schools. Mandarin has been the biggest problem. We speak only English at home. My P6 girl is very studious. She’s managed to do okay in Chinese–but there has been a high cost. She studies A LOT. We’ve had a tutor come to our house twice a week since she was in Kindergarten. She was in Chinese Activity Club in school. I sent her to NAFA for ballet because I knew many of the children and teachers would be primarily Mandarin speaking. A year ago during school holidays I put her in a local school in China for three weeks. I could go on and on. My point is that if you really want your son to succeed in Chinese, you will need to be proactive, and more so than most people because your son is starting late.

As far as I know, Mandarin as a second language is not offered at the primary level, and your son will have the same tests and exams as a local student. You can’t assume local students have been speaking Mandarin at home. More than 50% of them speak English at home, and they are in the same situation we are in. The only difference is your son hasn’t had Mandarin in preschool or Kindergarten.

An alternative to Mandarin would be to have him study Malay. I’ve taken classes in both Mandarin and Malay, and I think Malay is much easier for native English speakers. Malay doesn’t have tones and it uses the alphabet rather than characters. But even with Malay, if you want him to do well, you would probably need to seek out opportunities for him to use Malay outside of school.

I have an American friend whose daughter is in P3. Her daughter is a very bright girl who has done well in every subject except Chinese. She hates Chinese. My friend recently had her "exempted" from mother tongue. I’m not sure what getting an exemption involves or how it will impact her daughter if she wants to attend secondary school in Singapore, but you could look into this.

I don’t think you have to worry about the other subjects. Singapore’s math curriculum is world class, and the science curriculum isn’t bad either. The English curriculum is a bit old fashioned, but it’s okay. Overall, I’ve been really happy with the local schools.

As for diversity, the most diverse schools will be the ones that offer Chinese, Malay and Tamil as mother tongue languages. There are some schools that offer only Chinese, and these will be less diverse. You can use MOE’s website to check which mother tongue languages are offered at a particular school.

We’ve been to open houses at secondary schools, but I don’t know whether primary schools have them. We chose our daughters’ school based on word of mouth.

Campuses in Singapore tend to be closed. They have fences and the gates are locked during the weekend. You’ll need to contact the school if you want to have a look around.

Good luck. I hope you find a school that you are happy with. And welcome to the forum!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177022https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/177022Wed, 05 May 2010 14:32:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 14:11:49 GMT]]>Hello! :rahrah:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176998https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176998Wed, 05 May 2010 14:11:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 12:05:39 GMT]]>

toddles:
welcome!


you can join NSMG too - google it. 🙂
Thanks for the tip. I have been talking with others expats, however almost all of the ones I meet seem to have put their kids into International schools. Also, very few of the ones I've met at networking events live as far out as I do (Jurong area). Since my situation is specific to the Singapore public school system, I really need feedback from parents who have their kids in that system (thus why I am here). 🙂

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176940https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176940Wed, 05 May 2010 12:05:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 12:04:08 GMT]]>:welcome:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176937https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176937Wed, 05 May 2010 12:04:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:56:21 GMT]]>Thank you for the warm welcome!


I read the link, but it didn't really tell me what I needed to know. Here are some of my questions:

1. My son's mother tongue is English. He is just now starting to learn Mandarin. Will he be tested next year at the same level of Mandarin as other kids who have been speaking Mandarin since they first starting to speak? My primary concern here is that his confidence and morale will take a hit if he walks into a test with such a disadvantage. Are there any schools that offer a 2nd language Mandarin test (or exempt kids from the test altogether) for those who choose the English / Mandarin combination for their languages? I personally would have no problem if my son came home with a bad test score in Mandarin considering the circumstances, but I am afraid he will feel like he has let himself down.

2. How diverse are the public schools? I'd like to find a school with a mix of kids from many different backgrounds as he will probably find it easier to fit in under those settings. I'm not too concerned about this point as he does tend to be very social and is good at making friends, but it might ease his transition if there is a good variety of kids.

3. How do you go about getting a look at the school? Are there typically open houses? If so, when do they usually occur (and will there likely be a bunch of them before the next registration cycle)? Can you request a tour? Will they let you on campus after school hours or over the weekend?

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176913https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176913Wed, 05 May 2010 10:56:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:55:53 GMT]]>welcome!


you can join NSMG too - google it. 🙂

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176911https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176911Wed, 05 May 2010 10:55:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:29:29 GMT]]>:rahrah: :welcome: :welcome: :rahrah:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176884https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176884Wed, 05 May 2010 10:29:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:16:35 GMT]]>:welcome: ExpatMom, hope you have a good stay in Singapore


For the process for selecting a Primary school check out
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/choosing-primary-school-singapore

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176857https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176857Wed, 05 May 2010 10:16:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:10:34 GMT]]>:welcome: to KSP


and

:welcome: to Singapore! :celebrate:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176844https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176844Wed, 05 May 2010 10:10:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Mummy ExpatMom: Hi from a newbie expat mom on Wed, 05 May 2010 10:06:03 GMT]]>:welcome: to KSP & Singapore !


:celebrate:

you definitely come to the right place for the answer you seek ! 😉

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176832https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/176832Wed, 05 May 2010 10:06:03 GMT