looking for the melting pot

[a spoiled New Yorker]

I have looked through alot of the posts about the schools and here is my question that hopefully doesn't seem redundant. Which of the international schools seems the most international-and I mean truly international-not just caucasians from different countries. I mean really representative of Singapore. WE currently live in New York and my children attend a school which is so much like the New York melting pot that I would like them to have that experience in Singapore as well. Thanks in advance.

[Swedemom]

Hi there!
OFS = Overseas Families School is a melting pot - not only caucatians but people from all over the world :-)
/Good luck

[fondue]

None of the international schools is at all representative of Singapore because (with a few exceptions) Singaporeans themselves are not allowed to attend these schools. The best you can hope for is a school that represents the expat community evenly. I would guess the non nationality allied ones like OFS, UWC and ISS do this.
Local schools will have all the races of Singapore in them, but almost no expats (though these are allowed).

[Also from NY]

First, all of the international schools here are great.  My experience has been mainly with the Singapore American School which is largely multi-cultural and multi-racial.  I believe less than 48%of the students hold US passports.  It is a wonderful mix of American, Indian, Singaporean, European, Japanese, Malay, Taiwanese, Australian (and more) kids, aides and teachers.

For many, the decision of which school to attend depends on which cirriculum the child will return to in their home country, or which University program a student wishes to attend.

Good luck and enjoy your time here.

[mmm...]

Chatsworth

[spoiled New Yorker]

To Fondue-is that really true that the Singaporeans are not allowed to attend these schools? Or is the cost just prohibitive. Do middle class or upper class Singaporeans send their kids to public schools? Mind you I have absolutely nothing against public schools-my kids currently attend an alternative public school in NYC but I have heard that the Sing public schools (from locals who sent their kids there) are rigid, strict and give hours and hours of homework. That is my beef with them. Otherwise I would opt for that.

I was looking at the curriculums at some of these international schools and I saw nothing about language study. I want my kids to learn Chinese if they are going to be there. Do any of these schools do language study? Does anyone know if any of the schools offer a less traditional curriculum? I know that might be a difficult question to answer because traditional in one country might mean something else in another place but by traditional  I mean lots of tests, sitting in rows, standard colonial history, etc. I am looking for something different from that.

[question]

What are the ages of your children?   This can make a difference as far as selecting a school.

[I Think...]

To The Spoiled New Yorker,

First let me say that there are truly some fantastic schools here!

Best thing to do is continue researching as you are doing.  google.com.sg can be very helpful in finding information about Singapore.

If you are seriously considering making a move to a country on the other side of the world, 9 chances out of 10 your employer will send you on a "look-see"... that is perhaps one of the best ways to decide upon schooling, housing, etc.  Do your research on-line or on the message board, however, at the end of the day it is going to be what you find to be the best "fit" for your children.

School representatives would be most happy to meet with you, discuss their curriculum and let you tour their facilities.

As far as your question about language courses, I personally can say that the school where my children attend do have language courses available, one of them being Mandarin.

Best of luck to you in your endeavor.  

[languages]

Most of the schools here offer a language programme.  In my mind the best language programme is at the Canadian International School (CIS), where the children study French and Mandarin from 4 years old up.

They follow the IB PYP curriculum which is supplemented with the Ontario Math syllabus (both can be googled for more info).  So far (my eldest is in grade 5) homework has been kept to a sensible level - finishing off work not completed in class, home reading, a little maths/grammar practice no more than 30 min a night.   Their ECAs are a bit weak but as we like to get off and do our own thing after school that doesn't really bother me to much.

You really do need to visit though.  Get a feel for the place, speak to some teachers/parents/kids etc.  All of the schools are geared up for mid-term arrivals and you will be able to set up appointments easily to look around.

Good luck, I found choosing my kids' schools a real tough job.

[cheesy]

Yes, it is true that Singaporean children are not allowed to attend international schools unless they receive permission from the Ministry of Education.  This is regularly granted for children who have one foreign parent or those who carry dual passports.  

The international schools are expensive and beyond the reach of average Singaporeans, but I daresay there are many rich Singaporeans who make more than many expats.  I think that many (though not all) Singaporeans prefer their own schools over the international ones anyway because they are seen as being academically rigorous and instilling a high level of discipline.  It's a different mindset as to what education is about than what you are probably used to.

If you have a preschool age child, it is relatively easy to send them to a preschool with many Singaporean children.

For elementary age children, as a foreigner you may choose between an international school or a local one.  This topic has been discussed at length, so best to search this site if you want more info on this topic.  Check out the MOE website for how the enrollment process works.  It is very different than the US--just because you live near a school doesn't mean your kid will automatically have the right to attend there.

If you have a child 12+, you may use a local school, an international school, or starting January 2005, local "international" schools affiated with Chinese High or the Anglo Chinese Schools.  The local "international" schools are private schools that follow the Singaporean curriculum and fly the Singaporean flag.  They charge less
than international school and accept a mixture of Singaporean and foreign students.  (I think the mix is supposed to me 50/50, but I'm not sure.)  I know very little about these schools, so best google to get more information.  My guess is that most of the foreign students will come from other countries in SE Asia--Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.--as the Singaporean education system is highly regarded in the region.

I suspect the international schools would be more in line with your philosophy of education than any of the other options out there.  Your children will be exposed to kids from many different cultures.  Where it might differ from your experience in NY (or not) is that there will probably be less economic diversity.  The kids don't qualify for free lunches at these schools!

Many of the international schools offer Chinese as a class either a few times a week or everyday.  (Local schools offer it as one class daily with all other classes in English.)  Your kids can get a pretty good exposure to Mandarin but are not likely to come away fully bilingual based on their school experiences alone.

Good luck!

[cheesy]

Thought I would add---if you are looking for something that is really representative of Singapore, then that would be the local schools.  In my opinion, no matter where you live, the local schools are probably the best reflection of the local culture you will get.  That is as true in NY as it is in Singapore or Australia or the UK.

However, Singaporean schools do tend to be academically focused and traditional and concerned with grades and exams:  This is a reflection of values in Singaporean society as a whole.  If you don't agree with these types of values, then you may want to rethink your goal of giving your kids as Singaporean an experience as possible.

I don't doubt that Singaporean families relocating to NY probably face a similar dilemma.  They may want to give their kids a NY experience, but struggle with how do this and still retain their value system.

Personally I don't think it's fair to expose your kids to a culture and then be horrified when your kids turn out more like that culture than your own.  That's just the way the world works.

From my experience, the expat kids I have known who have done well in the local system come from families who value academics, hard work, and don't mind the emphasis on exams.

Just something to think about.

[worldtraveler]

It also depends on were you want to live.
The American School has a housing area around it, Know as "Little America" But not a lot going on there and a drive from
the "city". OSF is located near orchard area. We had to think of our teenager when we moved here and knowing that she would be seeing friends around town and spending time in the city, we choose OFS.  Best thing for you is to take trip here and look around. You can email me I would most happy to supply you with what ever information I have learned the hard way.

[spoiled new yorker]

My kids ages are ten and five. I am so mixed about this whole opportunity because four months ago we moved to NYC and I went through the whole school thing here which was a nightmare. Oh well-timing isn't always what you want it to be.

World traveller-you have an interesting point although I do not think I would want to live too close to Orchard Rd or in a place called "little America". WE stayed in Sing for three months two years ago and stayed on the east coast in a place call Lotus at Joo Chiatt which we loved. I think we would look someplace on the east coast but I guess I better check where all these schools are! I could not email you because you do not have your email listed.