We asked our honest panel of parents what criteria led them to choosing the right school for their child and here's what they had to say
There are so many school options in Singapore that it’s hard to make a wrong choice. Whether you’re in favour of an international school, local school, IB curriculum, national curriculum, school with world-class facilities, low student to teacher ratio, or a school that has a strong bilingual programme, there is an educational facility to suit every preference. So, how do you narrow down the field and make the right decision for your child? We asked our willing panel of parents how they made their school selection:
What led you towards choosing the type of school that you did for your child?
“Values are a very important thing for us. St Joseph’s Institution International run a virtues programme throughout the year. We also like that it is a small community-based school. And it helps that it is close to our home!”
Amy James, Australian, three kids
“We chose a school that has a British curriculum, as we’ve lived in London before and may well end up back there some day. We also like the British schooling system. The school we chose offers Nursery to Year 13 which won’t force us to have to change school at a certain age, unless by choice.”
Priscilla Gosh, Australian, two kids
“The winner for us was that the school we’ve chosen has small class sizes and the school overall is quite intimate. “
Roberta Ciccone, American, five kids
“Several factors were key: the age and energy of the teachers, the thoroughness of the curriculum, and the availability of teaching aids and facilities. Our choice met all of these criteria.”
Lena Lee, Singaporean, two kids
“We chose a school that could best support our children in assimilating into the local culture here in Singapore.”
Juliana Lim, Singaporean, two kids
“We were impressed by the disciplined education system at the school we selected. The cost difference between this and other choices was impressive too.”
Aruna Rao, Indian, two kids
“Affordability was the first thing on our list. The second thing was convenience – we wanted a school that was not at a great distance from our house.”
Maria Athena Catedral Bughao, Filipino, two kids
“We looked for stability; one school that they could stay at for the duration of our time living in Singapore.”
Carrie Gray, Australian, three kids
“Most likely we will go back to Amsterdam after Singapore, so we wanted our kids to maintain an education in Dutch. So we chose the Hollandse Internationale School.”
Olga Grant, Netherlands, two kids
“The values of the school, the size of the school and the fees were our determining factors.”
Jess Hart, Australian, three kids
“We like the zero tolerance approach to bullying tolerence. Additionally, the school is well structured and has a good attention to detail.”
Sara Valentine, New Zealand, three kids
“We are Americans and my husband attended SAS as a child. The teachers and facilities are wonderful!”
Britney Williams, American, three kids
“Cultural fit and and an approach to education that is similar to back home are both important to us.”
Danielle Fredford, Australian, two kids
” We have friends who are teachers at the school, and we wanted a British curriculum.”
Emily Brown, British, two kids
“We wanted our children to receive the best possible education, while also receiving the cultural experience of a diverse student population.”
Faith Chanda, American, two kids
“We are considering the Australian International School because of the Australian curriculum it offers. It should make the transition easier when we move back there.”
Adriana Diaz, Brazilian, one child
“We choose a small school with an Australian-based curriculum that has a great sense of community.”
Helena Ramsdale, British, one child
“The mixed cultural environment, education system and curriculum were definitely what made us choose the school.”
Ashley Tan, Singaporean, two kids
“School fees. Very simple.”
Sri Rahayu, Singaporean, two kids
If you’re after more help in choosing a school that is right for your child, budget,location and curriculum choice then visit our School Selector. This handy tool will help you honestly compare schools, side-by-side, based on your own set of criteria.
*Some of the above names have been changed, as requested by a handful of members in the panel.
