<![CDATA[Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times?]]>It is definitely worth it

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/80255/is-going-to-a-better-school-worth-hour-long-travel-timesRSS for NodeMon, 22 Jun 2026 22:34:16 GMTSat, 04 Jul 2015 03:39:00 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Tue, 16 Jun 2015 07:42:25 GMT]]>

CatMoon:
Whichever school one decide - my advice is to do thorough research first.


I thought my dd's school was \"branded\" and a girls' school and so move just across the road from the school after the PSLE exams. Now after 4 years, we realised that the school has a shortage of staff, high absenteeism, low morale, 'N' and 'O' level results keep dropping (girls are even failing English) etc.

School very relax - Homework given are often not marked. Only one Literature essay a term. One Compo essay a semester. No such thing as Project Work. No subject portfolio to do. The 10-year Series? Own time, own target.
May I know which school is that? If you are unable to post here, can you please PM me? Thanks.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1524737https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1524737Tue, 16 Jun 2015 07:42:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Tue, 16 Jun 2015 07:20:52 GMT]]>Whichever school one decide - my advice is to do thorough research first.


I thought my dd’s school was "branded" and a girls’ school and so move just across the road from the school after the PSLE exams. Now after 4 years, we realised that the school has a shortage of staff, high absenteeism, low morale, ‘N’ and ‘O’ level results keep dropping (girls are even failing English) etc.

School very relax - Homework given are often not marked. Only one Literature essay a term. One Compo essay a semester. No such thing as Project Work. No subject portfolio to do. The 10-year Series? Own time, own target.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1524729https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1524729Tue, 16 Jun 2015 07:20:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Sun, 14 Jun 2015 15:15:04 GMT]]>I feel that there is a great difference between students with cars and students with no cars studying in schools far away from home


If the parents can bring the child to school / home from school , it will be much faster compared to public transport in most cases and the child can really have a rest and have a short sleep on the way to school .

This is unlike children who do not have parents who own cars . They would have to wake up earlier , and rush to school as public transport is slower ( many stops ) and unreliable ( waiting time) . Most would not dare to sleep on the bus/train as they are afraid that they may miss their stop . I feel that these children are already at a disadvantage compared to other children as they are more deprived of sleep and have lesser time to do homework .

I took the hard way to realize this as dd2 takes 2 hours to and fro school by public transport . She is sleep deprived and has many homework to complete . For parents who are unable to drive your kid to school , I would really recommend a school closer to home unless you think that your child can excel and learn better in the other better school further away .

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1523937https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1523937Sun, 14 Jun 2015 15:15:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Thu, 11 Jun 2015 13:50:18 GMT]]>No, I don’t think so.

My daughter is currently studying at Cedar Girls’ Secondary School and she has to travel 1 hr on public transport to reach there in the morning. I feel that if parents can take them to school, it would be alright to travel though.

Every day when my daughter comes back she will feel very tired and not have the energy to do work and waking up too early may also make them want to sleep in the morning.

If you still want to attend a better school, you can move house to near the school. My family moved last year and now my daughter just needs to walk 5-min to reach school.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1522676https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1522676Thu, 11 Jun 2015 13:50:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 15 May 2015 07:42:30 GMT]]>

momkiasu:
Environment, Culture, Values are important to my child's upbringing. Travelling (distance of 30-45mins public transport) will be worth it. Anything more than an hour, I would consider a 2nd best alternate school instead.

Yes, I agree. My ds now takes about 45 mins by MRT & bus one-way, but because he is so happy and excited to be in an SAP/IP school, he enjoys going to school and makes effort to participate in activities/projects and learn about the school's culture & values. He comes home and tells me what happens in school and I see him practicing some of the values that the school teaches. I'm so happy to see him change and develop so quickly.

However, my dd's school is a 5-min walk away - She does not like the environment in the school as the kids are unmotivated to study (school absenteeism is high) and the teachers seem unable to enforce discipline. When I call & leave a message OR send an email to inquire about my dd's progress, the subject teachers take at least a month to respond and some DON\"T respond at all. She's now taking her 'N' this year and the teachers are really relax - they simply recycle old questions for the exams - even though SEAB has already implemented changes in, example, History and Social Studies since last year.

So learn from my mistake:
Better to choose a good school with track record than choose one simply because your kid don't need to take a bus.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506882https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506882Fri, 15 May 2015 07:42:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 15 May 2015 07:31:02 GMT]]>Schools provide students with two incredibly valuable benefits: education and social capital. We talk about education a lot, but not so much about social capital.


When parents shell out more money to pay (per month) for independent schools, they are paying for access to social capital.

What is the value of graduating from a neighborhood school over the Raffles or Hwa Chong family of schools? It is definitely not the book learning, that is for sure.

It is not what you learn at these schools that matters; it is the social capital that you accumulate. You get personal connections, experience in the social milieu, and association with a prestigious institution. That’s what makes a difference, especially when you go out and start working. You need that pedigree to get into the right high school, which is necessary to get into the right college, which is necessary to get the right elite job.

I offer an example - just go and look at the feeder schools supplying students going to NUS Law and taking up PSC scholarships. Even Straits Times had two articles on this in recent years.

https://law.nus.edu.sg/about_us/news/2012/ST250112.pdf

http://www.stasiareport.com/supplements ... g-20130727

It is heartening to know the government is trying to broaden their recruitment base, but students from the top schools still dominate.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506875https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506875Fri, 15 May 2015 07:31:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 15 May 2015 06:36:59 GMT]]>Environment, Culture, Values are important to my child’s upbringing. Travelling (distance of 30-45mins public transport) will be worth it. Anything more than an hour, I would consider a 2nd best alternate school instead.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506831https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1506831Fri, 15 May 2015 06:36:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:55:09 GMT]]>How good is better? May or may not be worth it…

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1460742https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1460742Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:55:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 11:14:46 GMT]]>If there is an option:


1. Top school (dream school) travel time more than an hr (1 way) by public transport!

2. Neighborhood school travel time 5 minutes (walking) from home to school!

If there is a chance! I will go for the option 1. :xedfingers:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446709https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446709Fri, 09 Jan 2015 11:14:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 08:36:46 GMT]]>Once a school take 1 hour or more to reach 1 way, better not.

Two way to and Fro will mean 2 hr

If school take half an hour to 45 minutes to travel : still ok

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446647https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446647Fri, 09 Jan 2015 08:36:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 04:58:00 GMT]]>Yes it is. There is a remarkable difference in the level/quality of education.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446429https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1446429Fri, 09 Jan 2015 04:58:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 04:11:05 GMT]]>JC?

'very' old enough to decide......

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436842https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436842Thu, 25 Dec 2014 04:11:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 03:11:23 GMT]]>It depends on your definition of a better school.

During my time, as my parents knew nothing much JCs, I choose one considered as one of the best JCs despite long travelling hours. In fact I was the only one in my class who required to take 2 buses (that time no mrt yet) to reach the school.
Looking back, I liked my JC and I did not regret my choice.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436823https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436823Thu, 25 Dec 2014 03:11:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Thu, 25 Dec 2014 03:08:00 GMT]]>Well said!


Maris Stella, Nan Hua & CCHM all SAP school, not much difference.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436822https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436822Thu, 25 Dec 2014 03:08:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 10:19:10 GMT]]>

bleeze:
Friend asks me:


5 min to Maris Stella or 1 hour to Nan Hua or 20 min to CCHM?? Any advice.
Hi, my advice is to take 5 mins to Maris Stella High. In primary school, if the child were to spend 2 hours travelling to school and back home, the child can still cope with CCA in school as well as homework. But, in secondary school, there are 9 subjects as compared to primary with only 4 subjects. With more time dedicated to additional subjects for revision, CCA and travelling 2 hours on the road, it leaves VERY little time for the child to sleep 8 hours sufficiently in order to concentrate the next day.

No doubt the branded sec sch will look good on the resume in future, but pls think of the present situation. If your child is interested in a particular CCA not offered in Maris Stella High, perhaps you want to consider Nan Hua or CCMS.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436558https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436558Wed, 24 Dec 2014 10:19:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:55:03 GMT]]>

KOOLMUM:
I was in this dilemma too. 1 school is 30min bus ride but another better school is 1 hr or slightly longer, depend on traffic condition.


I asked DD & she insisted on the the nearer to home one. I knew that if I forced her, she would be upset for the next 4 yrs.....hence we chose the first school. She told me that being in an average school, if she is focused and diligent, she would still get into her ideal JC & uni course. Hope she is putting these words into action. 😂

So parents out there, I think it is better to ask for your child's opinion. Let them decide......
Ultimately, it's the child who is going to the school and doing the learning. It should be the school that he feels that he is most happy in, be in near or far. Even if the school is far but he loves it, the travelling distance will not be an issue to him (assuming he is travelling there by himself) as he is motivated to go to school. If you put him in a school that he is unhappy with, you will likely face the challenge of getting him out of bed each morning.

As parents of 12 yos nowadays, our role now has to change an 'advisory' one. Gone are the days 'I decide you just follow'. Walk through the pros and cons of the issue at hand and let the kid decide. Good or bad, they must learn to make decisions based on thinking through the pros and cons and stick by it (unless it is a bad decision threatening health or life, where we parents must intervene immediately).

Tough to let our kids go and trust them to make good decisions, but we must start somewhere... :nailbite: 🙏

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436520https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436520Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:55:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:38:15 GMT]]>

sleepy:
With hindsight, I doubt I made a wise school selection decision when I was 12 years old. In fact I regretted some of the schools selection decision I made at 16 years old.


I don't think I want to leave that decision entirely to my 12 years old. I gave my dd a long list of reason why I think a particular school is the ideal school for her. Of course I told her she can keep the option open. It's her choice afterall. Somehow she's convinced it's her own decision to choose that school. Although I know very well 99.9% of her decision is due to my sales pitch 😉
I agreed please. A 12yr old's thinking is very much influenced by friends and peers, which sometimes the decision taken is not entirely wise. If parents have strong view on certain school, it is better to start the pyscho-ing process at an early age. I started to tell my child of how good of xxx school when she was like 8 yrs old. Over the years, it becomes part of her that xxx is THE school when she reached 12 yr old. :))

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436515https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436515Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:38:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:12:20 GMT]]>With hindsight, I doubt I made a wise school selection decision when I was 12 years old. In fact I regretted some of the schools selection decision I made at 16 years old.


I don't think I want to leave that decision entirely to my 12 years old. I gave my dd a long list of reason why I think a particular school is the ideal school for her. Of course I told her she can keep the option open. It's her choice afterall. Somehow she's convinced it's her own decision to choose that school. Although I know very well 99.9% of her decision is due to my sales pitch 😉

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436506https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436506Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:12:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:37:17 GMT]]>

KOOLMUM:
I was in this dilemma too. 1 school is 30min bus ride but another better school is 1 hr or slightly longer, depend on traffic condition.


I asked DD & she insisted on the the nearer to home one. I knew that if I forced her, she would be upset for the next 4 yrs.....hence we chose the first school. She told me that being in an average school, if she is focused and diligent, she would still get into her ideal JC & uni course. Hope she is putting these words into action. 😂

So parents out there, I think it is better to ask for your child's opinion. Let them decide......
yes, let them decide......old enough to decide..........

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436475https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436475Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:37:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:25:05 GMT]]>I was in this dilemma too. 1 school is 30min bus ride but another better school is 1 hr or slightly longer, depend on traffic condition.


I asked DD & she insisted on the the nearer to home one. I knew that if I forced her, she would be upset for the next 4 yrs.....hence we chose the first school. She told me that being in an average school, if she is focused and diligent, she would still get into her ideal JC & uni course. Hope she is putting these words into action. 😂

So parents out there, I think it is better to ask for your child's opinion. Let them decide......

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436469https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436469Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:25:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:16:48 GMT]]>

bleeze:
Friend asks me:


5 min to Maris Stella or 1 hour to Nan Hua or 20 min to CCHM?? Any advice.
Every(3) School A Good School

don't waste time

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436466https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436466Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:16:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 04:38:00 GMT]]>I base more on threshold for time taken to travel to and from school. I think so long as the ‘better’ school is within about 1hr’s travel time each way, I will choose the better school over the nearer one.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436451https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436451Wed, 24 Dec 2014 04:38:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is going to a better school worth hour long travel times? on Wed, 24 Dec 2014 04:37:45 GMT]]>

bleeze:
Friend asks me:


5 min to Maris Stella or 1 hour to Nan Hua or 20 min to CCHM?? Any advice.
5 min to Maris Stella then spend the rest of the time slacking or mixing up with wrong gang is possibility.

One hour to Nan Hua but spend the bus time reading up and making good use of travel time and being a consistent hard work student will surely serve the student well and could perhaps even top the cohort

It is all a matter of time management and self discipline. And setting the priority right. Schools with good track record do not exist by chance.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436450https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1436450Wed, 24 Dec 2014 04:37:45 GMT