Schooling for 5 year old
 

Hi. My wife and I are considering a move to Singapore in the next couple of months. My wife has been offered a job but the salary and cost of living in Singapore would mean that we both needed to work with me probably working part time or freelance. We have a 5 year old daughter who has been at reception year in primary school since last September in the UK. From what I understand primary starts at age 6 in Singapore so presumably she would not be in education until the September following her 6th birthday (she will be six in December). I'm not sure I would like her not participating in school,for that length of time as she really enjoys the structure in the UK and also it would limit the time for me to be earning a salary as I would be looking after her.

Any advice would be warmly welcome. I haven't been to Singapore before so I'm not sure if the day nurseries would be a realistic option.
Thanks

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Just to say Hi and welcome to the forum :). I'm sure some Singapore residents will be along soon to answer your questions.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Hi Peekay

There are quite a few options for schooling. In local schools kids do start P1 in the year that they turn 7. (The school year starts in January). They need to be able to read by the time they start P1 so most kids go to Kindergarten for 2 years (at least) before P1. K1 and K2 are similar to P1 and P2 in the UK.

However, there are lots of international schools if you would prefer to go down that line. They are expensive and some have long waiting lists but they're still the preferred option for most expats. As far as I know all the international schools would take your daughter at 5 years old (some at P1 and some in their kindergartens).

The local schools have a ballot system - where foreigners come last on the list. That said - we still got our son into the school we liked best in our area. It wasn't one of the "top" schools - i.e. the more academic ones - which isn't what I wanted for a primary school anyway. Generally it's very difficult for foreigners to get into those schools as they fill up very quickly. However, I was looking for a more holistic school and I was happy with the school my son went to. However, I can't deny he's now much happier at his (British based) international school (we moved schools when we moved across the border to Johor).

There are a huge range of options for nursery/kindergartens/daycare - just depends on what you need and are willing to pay for! Singapore's definitely not a cheap place to live - but it's a great place and very family friendly.

Good luck with your move!

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Bobcat. Thanks so much for the advice. I think we have similar views on education. Can I ask you, is it typical for kindergartens to be full time?
My daughter is used to being in school and it would seem really strange for he to be in a less structured environment. Thanks again.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Kindergarten tends to be half day - but some of them offer full day programmes where the kids do their schoolwork in the morning and then stay on for lunch, nap, play in the afternoons (or vice versa).

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

I can add that there are kindergartens on virtually every street here. Some are very 'local' in that the children sit and do a lot of rote learning and worksheets. Some are very 'western' in that there is a lot of play and story reading. Some are 'mixed' and have a blend of asian and western style learning. Our daughter has been in a 'mixed' kindergarten since the age of 3 where about 80 per cent of the children are Singaporean, 15% other Asian nationalities and 5% are westerners. She seems to do well there, so we will keep her there until she finishes K2 and then transfer to an International school. My advice would be to visit a variety of kindergartens close to home and then make a decision. You will definitely find something that is suitable for you.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Hi Dean. I thought you were living in Malaysia but I guess not.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Thanks everyone. This is really helpful. Can I also ask what the working hours are like in Singapore? We lived in HK for a while before the arrival of our daughter and it was similar to the UK.
I'm concerned that the high standard of living would mean we would both need to work but we wouldn't have the support of friends and family we have in the UK. It would make for a very long day for a 5 year old! That said it would be a great adventure for the family and having a few years overseas would be a great experience for her.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Many schools will start at 7-30am and finish at 12-30pm???? And a second sitting will take over.
Some kids will be on the school bus for an hour plus before the 7-30 am start time.

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Any advice for someone relocating to Singapore looking for a local kindergarten or local school? And do most people get "helpers" to have their non-school age children?

Re: Schooling for 5 year old
 

Be very careful if you hire a maid.
Most people have very few problems.
A very small minority have major problems.

Read some of the forums regarding maids to get an idea even if it might be an overblown view.

We've had 3 maids over a 12 year period.
Two were great, one was not.

The one we have now is returning home next March to marry so we will get another one.
Not looking forward to the process even though the missus does all the screening etc.
Unlike a lot of ex pats, who have a conscience over hiring a maid, we do not.
She gets paid the contracted salary and that is sufficient for her to send money home to the family who have bought a house and land using it. She has paid the deposit for one brother to work in Korea, which will never be returned to her and she has paid for two other brothers' schooling.
Although we haven't mentioned it she will get a very good bonus from us when she leaves.