Question: Where can I find more information on
International Schools, such as contact details etc. ?

Answer: We have a section on International Schools and, where possible, we provide comparitive information between the different schools.  You can see the relevant information here on our website.

Question: I am considering taking a job in Singapore for several years in the spring. I will have to travel quite frequently on my job for days at a time. I am a single father of two boys ages 9 and 11. I am trying to find out what costs I might encounter to add in salary negotions.

Answer: If you are considering sending your children to an international school, you may want to look for one where children can take their lunch and stay on in the afternoon for extra activities, for example the American School. The cost for international schools is quite high, but if you come with the regular expat package, the company should pay for it (see our section about the education system in Singapore).   Normally a schoolbus will come pick the children up and send them back as well.

There are quite a number of child-care centers in Singapore which provide after-school child-care. The cost is around $300 to $350 per month. We have a few listed in our section on child care.

If you have to travel often, you will need somebody to look after your children at night as well. The easiest solution is to employ a maid to take care of them. The cost incurred for a live-in maid is around $800 to $1,000 including the levy you will have to pay to the government (see our page on foreign house help). Otherwise you will have to find a babysitter everytime you go on a business trip. If you prefer such a solution, here are some recommendations:
  1. The national expat associations normally have a register for baby-sitters. Tell them you may want to join, if they can provide you with a list.
  2. Employment agencies also provide part-time maids.
  3. If you move into a condominium, ask the security guards whether they know anyone interested, as there are some maids who may be looking for alternate employment.
  4. There are quite a number of educational centres in Singapore which provide activities like movement classes, music tuition, drop-in-play, creative crafts, etc. Some of them also have a mobile care service. For further information you can contact "The Family Place Pte Ltd", 177 River Valley Road #05-01, Tel: (65) 334 3937, Fax (65) 336 8506; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Question: Are there any birth centers or places that cater to people wanting a natural birth? Also, are there any midwives who deliver babies at home?

Answer: The Singapore Yellow Pages are online at www.yellowpages.com.sg
Hopefully this will help you find some health care providers. You may want to check with the Ministry of Health regarding child birth regulations at www.gov.sg/gvthome/min1.htm
   Health care in Singapore is very good I wouldn't have any reservations on recommending it. Two of the most popular hospitals are KK Hospital (a gov't facility) and Mount Elizabeth which is where most of the expat community prefer to go, (they are more accommodating with western procedures and requests). Here, the midwives who do home deliveries are often a little hard to find. Many times they cannot afford to advertise so their clients come through word of mouth. However, they often work with other alternative health care practitioners (chiropractors, naturopaths, massage therapists, etc.). Another good resource would be any local childbirth educators, especially those teaching the Bradley method. They often know a lot about the local birth scene.

Question: Do the kids benefit from starting in a new school at the beginning of the new school year with all the other local kids?

Answer:  We don't think so. All kids have to deal with a slew of new experiences, make new friends, and learn new school procedures as the school year begins. Past surveys show that your children's transition will be easier if they come to the new school in the middle of the year, because the teachers will have more
time to deal with them as individuals. They will not be just part of the new term horde that consume a teachers time at the beginning of each term.
  Similarly, your kids will be celebrities for the rest of the kids in the class. Other kids will approach them, making "breaking the ice" an easier process than it would be if your kids have to make the first step.

Question: I am about to relocate to Singapore and I would like to have the following information: Admission procedure for kindergarten in an international school, when to apply for admission and fees.

Answer: Foreigners applying to a private international school can do so directly to the school in question. For information on fees and which school offers kindergarten level education, check out our section on education. Dates of application and admission vary from school to school, so do enquire with them.

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