Criteria for a Good Student Care Service (BASC)
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curious_mom:
I am wondering if this is the norm?
some centres provide enrichment while some centres give the kids assessment to work on (be it worksheets or they purchase the books).
bud did some write up http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2557&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0. -
curious_mom:
In my opinion, BASCs serve a very important function in Singapore due to the fact that most families have both parents working, and the great focus on academic excellence in Primary school.
The student care that my daughter is attending just ensures that she does her homework. They do not give additional work or assessment papers. I am wondering if this is the norm?
BASCs are essentially a substitute for the stay-at-home-parents. As such, the following are important considerations:
Essential requirements:
1. Security
It must be at least as safe as having the children at home, and giving the peace of mind to parents at work that there is some proper supervision of the children.
2. Homework
The service must provide a proper regime of helping the children build up the good habits of completing their school homework before play. The care-givers must go through the homework given to the child by their school and ensure that it is done. This should also include helping the children on their weekly spelling, math mental sums, and tingxie. This can be a life-saver for parents who come home late and can spend quality bonding time with their children instead of being stressed up with having to ensure that their children are keeping up with schoolwork. This also means that you should look for BASCs that cater to a sizeable cohort of students from the same school and classes as your children, as it will allow the care-giver to verify homework, while building camaraderie between the children.
3. Character development
The children may be spending more of their wakeful hours at the BASC than at home. They will also be interacting with other children at various ages. It is important that the care-givers ensure that the interactions are positive and zoom in quickly to nip any instances of bullying or poor social behavior in the bud, because children at this age are extremely impressionable. They must actively encourage children to be helpful to one another, and to participate in team activities.
4. The BASC should be near the school
Beyond Primary 2, the children will be heavily involved in CCA. It may be necessary that the child actually goes to the BASC himself or herself after the CCA.
Nice to have requirements:
1. Web Camera for parents to keep an eye on their children
2. Additional enrichment classes, both academic and non-academic (eg. speed and drama, blading, swimming, basketball, etc). Academic enrichment must not overload the child with additional homework.
3. Value for money (especially during these times) -
I have been assigning work to my child and marking it at night. Most of the time I end up not being able to go through the mistake with her because it’s so late and both myself and my child are too tired.
If the student care can offer tuition it will be wonderful.
I do agree with the point about CCA; in which most of the time will be spent in school and now I am tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to bring my kid back to the student care next year when she is in P3 and CCA ends in the afternoon. Any advice??? -
Hi All,
Any comments on the BASC inside the school itself.
Anyone has good or bad experience on it.
The Pri Sch that i targeted to send my kid to has a BASC.
:lol: -
For one; you save on transportation. Every year it’s increasing by $5 !!! In addition; if your kid has CCA; they can just walk back to the student care; it’s within the school so I guess it’s safer.
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curious_mom:
The student care that my daughter is attending just ensures that she does her homework. They do not give additional work or assessment papers. I am wondering if this is the norm?
Hi curious_mom,
The BASC my boy is attending has been doing the vice versa of yr girls centre. Bcos my boy is in the afternoon seesion, his homework, if there is, will be finished at night. Me so far never missed his homework. Other than asking \"any homework\", i check on his bag personally every night
In the morning, I will send him to BASC for his breakfast at 8.30am, followed by 9am they will start doing ASSEMENT BOOKS (purchased by the centre, we pay for it), some day (beginning of the week) doing English & Chinese Spelling. Around 10 plus, shower time & get change. 11am-Lunch, 11.45am-set off to school. HOW I DARE TO LEAVE THE HOMEWORK to the centre where time is limited??
Have u checked with the centre whether possible to have yr girl doing assesment books (u purchased lah) on top of her homework? She is in the morning session, i guess. -
tph452sg:
Hi tph452sg,Hi All,
Any comments on the BASC inside the school itself.
Anyone has good or bad experience on it.
The Pri Sch that i targeted to send my kid to has a BASC.
:lol:
This sounds perfect!!! :celebrate: U can really save all the troubles, like worrying when kids walks over to school, though with teacher around and when there is CCA, no worries of how they get to school or get back to BASC. But wonder if your kid will like to stay in the same environment for the whole day of different curriculum. Can check with the BASC what kind of curriculum they provided. A normal one will provide 2 meals (either breakfast & lunch OR lunch & tea break), guide them on homework, give assement books to do, GIVE not teach huh spelling, shower time. Anyway, putting kids in BASC is allowing us, parents, have a peace in mind when we are at work. At least, we know they are under someone care with meal & homework/assement books done. If the curriculum meets your requirements, why not? Very convenient for sure. Me like convenient, scare MA FUN (trouble), then why have kids huh??
Discuss with your kid if he might like it and if the curriculum meets your requirement. good luck! -
LuvKid,
I guess it will be better when you kid is in the morning session. You won't want him to waste time wondering around after he he completes his homework right? I guess there must be a balance; just that mine is too lax and this will be a problem next year when mine is in the morning session. from 1-7pm ... I don't think she will be doing homework for so many hours right? -
curious_mom:
yes, i am looking forward for morning session. One worry is that will i be able to wake up as early as 6 or 6.30am? However, morning session will be implemented when my boy reaches P3, another 1 year plus. I would prefer that at least he can finish his homework in BASC and in the evening when i bring him home, i will check through and do extra revision with him.LuvKid,
I guess it will be better when you kid is in the morning session. -
i am currently working in a Before & after sch care and will take note of all the feedbacks to work on our centre.
4 things that we will strife to achieve, over the short next 3 months
1) address the problem of inexperience/uncapable teachers
2) improve teacher-student relationship - (less tantrum)
3) update our curriculum to suit the demand
4) more team building activities to encourage leadership skills and camaraderie.- (less bullying)
here are some of the problems that all parents face:
bullying and fights
kids are kids, and being human in nature; we also tend to vent our anger too. So the first approach is not to scold anyone, but to find out the reason of it occuring and counselled anyone at fault when the anger has subsided.
vulgarities
kids pick them up quickly as it attracts a lot of attention especially parents'
vulgarities are learned from internets, friends or even newspaper.
they are everywhere, therefore we have to teach them the proper usage of vulgarities and its consequences, like no one will want to stay close to someone that insults and make fun of people.
Sometimes kids are the most irritating people in the world and they are also the cutest people in the world at times. Enjoy your parent hood! = )
if there is any other feedbacks & opinion that you can suggest,
please post so that we can consider, plan and implement it.