Thank y’all!!

Thank you thank you…


I live in Sembawang, how abt you duriz?

Hi Insider, thanks for your reply.


FYI, I called both CCs and spoke to their principals before going down to the CCs. In both encounters, I visited the centres after I knock off hence the principals and admin personnels have left hence I could only speak to the teachers.

In my opinion, apart from teaching well, teachers should understand the fee structure of their centre. Or the centre can prepare a list of parents’-must-now in a list/table. So that the teachers can hand the information to the parents with ease since the principals can’t be always around to attend to parents. Giving wrong information to parents should be the last thing to do.

And I agree that I prefer a Mandarin-speaking teacher to teach my son good Mandarin. But what if a kid asks this teacher a question in English cos he still does not know how to phrase it in Chinese. How should this teacher deal with it?

My son will turn 18mths this Dec 2010 and I’m looking for a childcare centre in Jan 2011 before my maid returns home in June 2011.


I’ve went to a couple of centres to check out their environment. There were 2 CC in particular which sort of puts me off. On my first encounter at the first CC, I approached one of the classrooms in the hope to get information about the fees and curriculum etc. The teacher pointed and told me to go to the other classroom where the teachers there can answer my queries. When I went to the other classroom as told, the teacher pointed and told me to go to another classroom where the admin staff will be able to help me. Finally when I went to the third classroom, I spoke in English to a China teacher at the door. To my astonishment, she stopped me and asked if I could converse in Mandarin. Being in a multi-lingual country, how could she not understand English. I understand that the China teachers’ job is to teach Chinese to the kids but they should be expected to speak and understand basic English.

Because I’ve the habit of calling up the centre and ask whatever that I need to know. And if I’m happy with what I hear, then I would visit the CC. So for my other encounter at another CC. I was appalled by the lack of knowledge which one China teacher displayed. After knowing over the phone that the CC fees is approx $600 and they accept 18mth toddlers, I went to their centre to look at the environment. I was approached by a China teacher and I double-checked the fees with her and she told me that she ‘thinks that it’s about $1k’. I was shocked and told her that I called earlier and the was told should be $600. She then apologised for giving the wrong figure and explained that she’s a teacher so she doesn’t handle admin issues. Later she went on to say that she thinks that her centre doesn’t accept 18mths kids. Then she asked me to call the centre the next morning to confirm with their principal 'cos she’s unsure.

Sorry for the long-winded stories. My purpose is to show the quality of teachers in centres nowadays. Both centres are located very near my block but sadly, I do not know if I can entrust my son to them.

Hello all *waves with butterfly arms*,


I just joined KSP today. Blessed with a baby boy who turned 1yo in June. :love:

Can't wait to share my views in this forum! Wheee..

Just join KSP today. I'm a working mummy with a son who just turned 1yo in June. I'm currently living in Sembawang.