Hi Everyone,


I have a 6 & 4 year old girls, both going into the local Montessori kindergardens,with the oldest starting primary school next year. Speaking to their teachers and they seem to think they will need some additional help with mandarin, esp given we don’t speak it at home (From UK/Aus).

Can anyone recommend a class, maybe one more geared up to teach in a fun way than in a rigid classroom format, on the east coast? Or would it be better to get a tutor to come to us?

Many thanks in advance, pls let me know if there’s additional info needed to help get some good advice?

Cheers.

My daughter got into her school of choice, don’t know about jubilant parents but you could tell the ones who didn’t succeed. A mum sitting in front of me put her hand to her mouth and looked like she was going to cry when the last ball came out. Felt very sorry for her, more so than being jubilant.

In the ballot for SACPS, 10 children, 7 spots. Fingers crossed.

Interesting side effect of the new rules, there are now schools which will have no PR pupils other than siblings and which are unlikely to have any in the future, and schools where PR kids will now be concentrated.

Thanks for the advice, be on it tonight and make a decision.


Appreciate the good will comments.

Just wondering if anyone can help clarify a question I have:


I’m PR (Sorry), have applied for a school for my daughter where we’re over 2KM but in the past there were always places at phase 2c, however this year it’s looking very likely it will go to ballot and I’m now thinking I’d like to withdraw my app and try another local school we also like, is it possible before registration has closed or do we have to wait till 2CS now?

Thanks.

Thanks, would it be fair to say that when the phase 1 intake has increased, it’s likely to mean less places at 2C?

Hi,


Can someone clarify - the post from phtthp. The figures are for phase 1, on MOM website it shows same for School Vacancies by Phases — Phase 2A1
(as at 6 July 2012). Does this eman how many are left at phase 2A1 or after 2A1?

Thanks.

JoetheSC:

Daddy

I don't see the need to get personal with rebuttals...

Don't turn this to a SC against PR topic..
:celebrate:

First of all, let me clarify...THIS IS a SC against PR/FT topic.

I can't see how we can not make it so, when this is a discussion on a policy that clearly pits PRs/FTs' entitlements against SCs'.

I am equally offended by Mr Snaw's arrogance and sense of entitlement as those who were offended by my rebuttal, but my rebuttal was not meant to be \"personal\". Instead, it is meant to strongly REMIND the non-SCs in general (esp. those who don't \"Get it\"), that as much as we SCs welcome REAL (F)TALENTs to our motherland, they can NEVER and should NEVER expect to be granted equal entitlements/concessions in areas like primary/basic education and accommodation simply because unlike SCs, PRs/FTs were not born/raised/will raise a family/live/and die HERE. I am sure they would agree that the same holds true in reverse.

In simple unsavoury terms, FTs/PRs are transient migrants whose main focus is to enrich themselves first (as anyone would), in whichever land that offers the best opportunities/returns. All other benefits that the host (country) receives from FTs/PRs' \"contributions\" are incidental rather than primary to their decision to relocate (here). And I would expect that once the factors that were beneficial to PRs/FTs are taken away, they CAN and WILL relocate..as what Mr Snaw so clearly mentioned or even threatened, albeit mis-guidedely.

That is why Mr Snaw threatened \"I'll never go SC, why would I want to?...... If Singapore keeps forcing the issue with moves like this I'll leave\".

The SG government is FINALLY acknowledging that they had neglected its own citizens and the CONSEQUENCES have not been desirable, and hence, it looks like the main agenda going forward (at least until the next GE) is to win back the hearts of SCs...AT THE EXPENSE OF PRs/FTs.

So...get used to it..SCs, PRs and FTs alike

I think I may have missed something, not been keeping up with the thread just logged in and saw this. Why all the hostility?

I talked about arrogance and sense of entitlement as something I didn't want my kids to have by going to international school, so I'd prefer to go local. If that offends you then sorry I'd like my kids to integrate into Singapore society more, not less.

I never stated I should be granted equal entitlement, in fact I said I understand why SC's were frustrated. I never threatened to leave either, I pointed out why people like my wife and I come to Singapore - and it's not just money, I can earn as much or more in many other countries, it's a combination of factors with schooling being one of them.

If that dynamic changes then undoubtedly it impacts foreign talents desire to live in certain places. I probably didn't put that across as well as I could, but I'm not having a go at the decision, as I stated (And you seem to have missed or completely misunderstood) I'm simply saying big decisions like these have consequences.

Reading through this thread and I sense a lot of animosity to foreign workers. If you want people to become SC then I'm not sure hostility is a great base to start from, it's also not my general impression of people I meet here but I'm now starting to wonder if maybe it's what everyone is thinking. It's certainly a theme I'm picking up in the last year or so.

Freesia:

Hi Snaw,

People like Jim Rogers are rare. Also, he used the PV route which is still available.
Top decision maker in MNCs rarely put their children in local schools. They put them in international schools like UWC which is also one of the best ranking in the IB after ACSI. At least in my workplace, it is like this. On my floor and a few other floors; those PRs who sits in the room and make key decisions; all their kids are in international schools. They do not like the drilling of the local schools. They also do not give up their citizenship as their kids can go the UK or US to do their college at subsidized fees and other perks.
I have some PR friends who told me that they will leave Singapore when their children is in their senior high. They try the local system for now and if all things fail; they say thay can go to the international schools, then boarding schools in the West etc. These friends kids are in top schools.
As a Key decision maker of a MNC, the wage is of considerable amount and as such will also have less of a financial issue to consider, no?
Whereas for SC; we only have 1 choice and that is to register in a local school.
As such, I think this change has minimal impact on the Top end of the foreign talent. Thinks this will affect the lower end fo the management of foreign talent in a MNC. For now, at least, my poor colleague who stays in Bukit Batok HDB has much lesser of the hassle to fight with the huge numbers of PRs residing around her blocks of flat for a place in a school right next to her block

Again, don't disagree about top decision makers though it's not always how it immediately impacts them but also how it impacts the people they employ. There are exceptions - I'm not at a level high enough to influence where my company concentrates resources in Asia, but my boss is and his kids are in local school. My wife also is a regional head, she would too. For us it's not a financial thing to sent kids to local school.

I genuinely understand where it's come from and why as an SC you'd be glad this happened (Though in UK there is no preference to nationality - it's all based on distance from school, no ballots at all).

My only real concern now is that I think this has completely changed the admissions dynamic, and all previous years and history etc can no longer be relied upon to make informed decisions on which school to send your kids to. I think this will apply as much to SC as PR and non PR, and you're going to end up with schools all SC and some with concentrated PR's a tier down but which may change rapidly because of this. All just guesswork at this stage, it'll take a few years to really see what happens I think.