ADMISSION TO A INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
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chixchix:
I presume your child is in Pr school and therefore still under compulsory education? If not, just give the school notice and leave.Hi i will be relocating to Malaysia for work, and my son is currently in a local school. Does anyone has any idea how do we engage with MOE to pull him out ?
Has anyone ever switched from local to international school before ?
If you plan to leave and not reserve a place in a local school, and your child is still in Pr school, you only need to inform MOE of the reason. I'm not sure what kind of proof they may need. Call the Customer Services line and they will advise you. If you want to reserve a place in the school for when you return to Singapore, you can apply for leave of absence. It will be for a calendar year at a time and only for that particular school, and there is an annual fee (varies, but shouldn't be more than current school fees). You apply to the individual school. The application form is available on the MOE website.
My kids switched from local school to US-system international school (in China) at grades 3 and 5. They had only completed half of P2 and P4 in Singapore, and we finished the Maths syllabus with them over the summer so they could keep up as the international school used Singapore Maths curriculum. Other than that, they had no problems. Any specific areas you are concerned about? -
Hi thanks for the reply.it was useful… However didn’t MOM ask why you are switching to a international school ?
Do we talk to MOM first or let the International school put in the application first ? -
chixchix:
Are you switching to international school in Singapore? If it's outside Singapore, MOE won't question it, and the international school does not have to apply to MOE. As far as MOE is concerned, they just want to have on record that your child is attending a school somewhere. If the international school is in Singapore, then I don't know the procedure. Isn't your child going to Malaysia with you?Hi thanks for the reply.it was useful.. However didn't MOM ask why you are switching to a international school ?
Do we talk to MOM first or let the International school put in the application first ?
I applied for leave of absence for my kids as we had no idea when we might come back to Singapore. As they were registered in a school in Singapore, we only needed to put down the name of the overseas school in the application form each year. No questions were ever asked. -
Hi thanks for your prompt reply… Yes the international school is in JB… some forums i read stated that the child has to complete PSLE first … but i also receive a email from the school saying that i need to tell the school and apply to MOE , they won’t do for me
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chixchix:
Hi thanks for your prompt reply.. Yes the international school is in JB.. some forums i read stated that the child has to complete PSLE first … but i also receive a email from the school saying that i need to tell the school and apply to MOE , they won't do for me
I believe you only need to seek MOE's permission for your child to go to an international school if the school is in Singapore. However, if your child is still in Pr school, you need to inform them that he is leaving the country and attending a school elsewhere for the purposes of satisfying the compulsory education law. They may require some documentation. I think you need to do all the paperwork yourself; a school outside Singapore will not deal with MOE or the present school on your behalf.
If your son is in a school overseas, I don't think there is a need for him to take the PSLE if he is not in Singapore. One of my kids did not, and the one who did was because we asked her to, not because MOE required it. Homeschooled kids will need to take PSLE.
It would be best if you call MOE's Customer Service line and ask for the details. -
chixchix:
Hi thanks for your prompt reply.. Yes the international school is in JB.. some forums i read stated that the child has to complete PSLE first … but i also receive a email from the school saying that i need to tell the school and apply to MOE , they won't do for me
Hi chixchix,
Will your children be going to Marlborough college in JB? If so, can you share the schooling experience over there and if there are any Singaporean children (boarders) studying over there? I passed by there and the campus is really huge! A good alternative to UK boarding school as it is so much nearer to singapore. But not sure of the standard compare to the one in UK. -
My understanding is if your child is going from local primary school to overseas international school, you don’t need to seek moe approval. However, you do have to inform them. As for the procedure and documents wise, you have to check with moe directly, the oversea international school will not help you to liaise with moe.
If you intend to put your child from local primary school to an international school in singapore, the school will seek the approval from moe on your behalf. And the approval from moe is not guarantee. There is no clear guideline to how moe will approve the case… A better chance to get approval are singaporean who comes back from overseas and have been in a foreign system, children with learning difficulties, children with a foreign parent (I read somewhere, even children with a foreign parent has difficulty getting approval in the recent years)…
It’s best to check with moe and the respective school directly as school policy may vary from one another. -
Hi Popcorn, yes it is Marlborough, I went to their open house on 1st may ,and the school isss hhuuuggeeee, boarding rooms for kids are 4 to a room,everything is air conditioned there even classrooms. Not more than 18 kids per classroom.
What I liked is that they get the kids to think out of the box and prepare you as an individual for the future. And the time table is spread out nicely from 8.30am -4.15pm in a way that the kids can have studies ,games and breaks. All kids are expected to know how to use the Mac book.
My son is having problem with his 2nd language and he is also not the studious type hence this school will suit him well as there is no pressure, Now he is in P5, so he will join Year 7…best thing is for 2nd language, you can join the basic classes unlike Primary 5,example if I want to switch him to another language he will join the class at the current curriculum they are in.
Emphasis is also put on games, yoga,cricket etc for the child. Fees would work out to about 2k per month… I did meet few Singaporeans parents who had registered for the Sept 2014 intake… -
Hi Popcorn, yes it is Marlborough, I went to their open house on 1st may ,and the school isss hhuuuggeeee, boarding rooms for kids are 4 to a room,everything is air conditioned there even classrooms. Not more than 18 kids per classroom.
What I liked is that they get the kids to think out of the box and prepare you as an individual for the future. And the time table is spread out nicely from 8.30am -4.15pm in a way that the kids can have studies ,games and breaks. All kids are expected to know how to use the Mac book.
My son is having problem with his 2nd language and he is also not the studious type hence this school will suit him well as there is no pressure, Now he is in P5, so he will join Year 7…best thing is for 2nd language, you can join the basic classes unlike Primary 5,example if I want to switch him to another language he will join the class at the current curriculum they are in.
Emphasis is also put on games, yoga,cricket etc for the child. Fees would work out to about 2k per month… I did meet few Singaporeans parents who had registered for the Sept 2014 intake…