How To Apply To A Local School In Singapore

Singapore currently has 38 international schools, with a total of 5,000 available spaces for foreigners. The fees at international schools range from SGD 24,000 to SGD 40,000 per annum, rendering them out of bounds for many families. Alternatively, foreign families pay fees ranging from SGD 1,200 to SGD 7,500 per annum for Primary School education in a local school. Apart from the Government-run schools, autonomous schools and independent schools are alternate choices. These autonomous and independent schools charge slightly higher fees but are even more highly sought after, making it more difficult for non-Singaporeans seeking admission.

Most local schools boast excellent academic standards, good sports programmes and strong foreign language skills. A majority of the students are Singaporean, and this offers foreigners the opportunity to integrate into the local community and assimilate the Singaporean culture. Singapore is known world over for its high quality of education, with “Singapore Math” textbooks being an extremely popular add-on to the curriculum in many US and UK curriculum schools.

*  First Point Of Entry:  Grade 1, referred to as Primary 1.  A child has to be 6 years old upon entry, with the school year and the cut-off for admission being based on the calendar year.

*  Phase Admission:  Admission in local schools is done in “Phases”, with foreigners being eligible in Phase 3. This exercise is called the Primary One Registration Exercise and takes place between July to September each year, for entry into school the following January.

*  Registration:  Registration procedures are to be strictly adhered to and the necessary documents are to be submitted to the school of choice. Popular (“elite”) local schools are usually oversubscribed. It is therefore prudent for a foreigner to start in a school that is not so popular. It is easier to move to a higher-rated school at a later stage.  This can be achieved by strong performance in academics or sports, good leadership skills, and other extra-curricular achievements.

* Options For Those Waiting To Get Into A Local School:  A large number of foreigners applied for Primary One places for their children in 2014, and close to 1,500 children did not gain admission in local schools. While some parents bit the bullet and enrolled their children in international schools, some others opted to home-school their children instead. At times, they sign up their children in enrichment classes and group sporting activities to offer them the opportunity to mingle with their peers. Some children were lucky to secure places in local schools which had withdrawals.

*  Secondary School Admissions:  For admission into local schools for grades higher than Primary One, the children need to appear for the S-AEIS (Supplementary Admissions Exercise for International Students) evaluation in September prior to the start of the academic year in January. However, some critical years (e.g. just before the PSLE or O levels) are “no entry” years for students not already enrolled in the local curriculum.

Expats who choose the path less travelled and enroll their kids in the local system are generally happy with their decision. Apart from the issues of cost, many maintain that the teaching principles are sound, and there is academic rigour and a sense of healthy competition. “The discipline and hard work put in during their primary education stands them in good stead as the children get older”, said Mrs. Singh from India, a foreigner with two children in local primary schools. Her children were offered admission in different schools but this did not alter her decision to send them to local schools. The exposure to a high standard of Mandarin (or other Asian languages) is also often cited as a distinct advantage of local schools.  The schools are well-funded by the government and are constantly upgrading their facilities. Of late, they also offer well-round extra-curricular programmes covering activities like sports, public speaking, music, leadership development. They use of technology tools in pedagogy is widespread. The world is changing rapidly, and local schools in Singapore are keeping up with the times.