Kooky.

The "local" is actually Chinese.

They all live in racial "harmony". Oh please Go on a few local forums and see what the different races call each other.

I worked (unpaid) with disadvantaged and out of school youths, kids who had no shoes on their feet. Almost without exception (there was one expelled girl rebelling against her rich parents) they were Malay, Indian, or Malay-Indian mix - who are the lowest of the low.

Biogentic

we view racial harmony very importantly as it is the pinnacle of success to our economy...But we hate the China PRC to the core... you want online evidence that we are actually very hateful against the chinese PRC? Yea, it seems funny for a chinese to hate chinese but we view nationality important than anything else.

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/sh...ht=tiong+china
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/sh...ht=tiong+china
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/sh...ht=tiong+china

ah tiong = chinese PRC, in case you are wondering what it means. now i would really like to see which forum members call the other races by name.

Inselaffen

I havnt seen much racial harmony here. see the different racial groups living very much separate lives from each other

Kooky.

You really think I need to read a forum to know how much Singaporeans bitch about the mainland Chinese? Get real. I used to live in Geylang so conversations with taxi uncles about how the dirty China Girls come over and pollute the streets were a regular occurence. They didn't seem to want to discuss how Singaporean men, amongst others, created the demand for dirty China Girls.

I suggest you consider your roots, Biogentic.

Pure Welshi

Try a Montessori school if you can.

I'm located in KL, Malaysia and managed to find an excellent small private prep school called British Montessori in Ampang.

Didn't know about its interesting education concepts until I came to KL, now, when I have to return to the UK I'll be on the look out for it...

Kooky.

Now there's an ad if ever I saw one.

Pamela Calver

Re help with schools. It should be noted that NOT all schools that are privately run have Directors who put all 'profits' straight into their pockets. Chatsworth International School is located in one of the few remaining heritage buildings in Singapore. Its Directors put all funds, and more, directly back into the school. Chatsworth is a non selective school (many schools here 'select' because statistics are deemed more important than people) yet has a stunningly successful pass rate in IB and Am dip.

Chris C

Dear Englishmum

We are moving from NJ back to Singapore and daughter now 12. Happy to hear today that UWCSEA has accepted her, but we are wondering about curriculum transition (specifically if/when we return). Good chance work may bring us back to NJ for US High School year grade 11, and how did your children make out with the curriculum change from UWC to a US program upon return ? We were accepted to SAS also, which would match up, but love the approach of UWC and after seeing the campus, children and staff there.

returning lah

Englishmum

Oooh, which UWC campus is it? The original one at Dover or the new 'East' campus?

I had my daughter (the eldest) at UWC and my son was at Tanglin Trust; UWC is an amazing school and my daughter was there from the age of 11-16 and after taking her 'IGCSE's she chose to go to boarding school in Oxford for her 'A' levels. However, UWC broadened her mind and she enjoyed the extra-curricular activities and school trips, which gave her the confidence and maturity to take a Gap Year before going to uni and she went trekking in India and the Himalayas. The poor thing was just 500m for the base camp of Everest but got altitude sickness!

I'm pretty sure that if she had gone to an American high school she would never have contemplated taking a Gap Year (it's an almost unheard of concept I find, in the US).

My son did most of his Primary schooling at Tanglin and left in Year 6 (aged nearly 12) and went into Grade 6 at the local Millburn Middle School in NJ; he adapted very well, but this was helped by the fact that all the 5 local elementary schools graduate in Grade 5 and also move to the Middle school, so he wasn't the only 'newbie'.

I know that UWC is a great choice for kids who may move into either the British or US school systems when they leave Singapore....the problem is to find a comparable school anywhere else. UWC keeps a transcript for kids who are moving to the US system.

Oddly enough, I went into Cold Storage Jelita and the Colbar after being away from Singapore for 8 years and immediately spotted teaching staff from UWC and Tanglin who'd taught my kids and were still there lol!

Have you found somewhere to live yet in Singapore? Where are you in NJ? I'm in NJ right now but flying out to Singapore again in early July. There are a lot of Texan 'oil wives' on my condo with big hair lol!