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S
ingapore offers a wide choice of
international schools, most of which
have a multicultural environment
with students from a diverse range
of backgrounds and countries. Add
to this a wide variety of curriculums,
from single-country programmes to
the International Baccalaureate and
International Primary Curriculum, and there’s not much
more that a parent could wish for.
While a visit to a school is often the best way to make
an instinctive decision based on the individual needs
of your children, hearing the opinions of other families
about their experiences can be invaluable. The following
pages feature a multitude of referrals from
Expat Living
readers to help you decide on a school.
10 THINGS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
WHEN CHOOSING A SCHOOL:
1.
Ensure the curriculum fits your child’s educational
needs and your future plans; the right fit may
minimise the disruption of moving to another
country and changing schools.
2.
Check the location of the campus, and its
convenience to your home and transport options.
3.
Class sizes and teacher-to-child ratios vary
markedly from school to school.
4.
Mandarin is widely taught as a compulsory
language, but there are often other options,
including European languages.
5.
Extracurricular activities can offer children a
balance to the academic experience. Most schools
offer a wide range of sports, music and visual arts.
6.
Most international schools come with a higher price
tag than expats may be accustomed to in their
home countries.
7.
Depending on the age of the child, schools
often encourage parental participation; if work
commitments allow, this can be a wonderful way
to meet new people and get to know the school.
8.
Because of the tropical climate, outdoor experiences
are a feature of most schools; check the facilities
available.
9.
School excursions to other countries are a normal
part of the school curriculum; they often focus on
learning about those countries and sometimes on
volunteering.
10.
School holidays and term dates vary from school
to school.
SCHOOLS FIT INTO FOUR
BROAD CATEGORIES:
#1 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Examples include UWCSEA, St Joseph’s
Institution International, Overseas Family
School and GEMS World Academy. These
schools typically cater to dozens of cultures
with all having equal footing, and annual
global celebration days. For mobile expats,
the mix of international curriculums allows
children to transfer and continue their education
easily. Curriculums are typically a mix of the
International Baccalaureate, the International
Primary Curriculum and the ICGSE.
#2 NATIONAL CURRICULUM SCHOOLS
Examples include Marlborough College
Malaysia, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
American School and Avondale Grammar
School. Parents value the way that these schools
ensure minimum disruption when transferring
between countries, and for older children, allow
easy entry to university in their home country.
Typically, these schools demonstrate strong
cultural ties, while embracing their place in
Singapore and its cultural diversity.
#3 HYBRID CURRICULUM SCHOOLS
Examples include Stamford American
International School, the German European
School Singapore and theAustralian International
School. These schools offer a dual curriculum
approach, combining a home country curriculum
with one or more international curriculums,
typically with a culturally diverse student
population and strong emphasis on language.
#4 LOCAL SCHOOLS
Some expats choose local schools, especially
if their children attended local kindergarten or
preschool, and they are keen to continue their
intensive language instruction. Singapore’s
education system has an excellent reputation
internationally and regularly tops the world in
mathematics and science. Families considering
staying in Singapore long-term may favour this
option, but should be aware that there can be
strong competition for places.