What I Learned From Putting My Local Child In An International School
Parents now have more choices for their kids when it comes to their secondary school education, so how do you decide if they should go local or international?
By Dee Lim -
As a parent, it’s natural to be thinking five steps ahead about your children’s futures and what they need to be set up for success. Who wouldn’t want to make sure that your kids are achieving what they can to the best of their abilities? All we ask at the end of the day is their best efforts (at least passing marks) and a happy child. Sometimes, that means taking a look at the educational environment that they’re in.
When my daughter was in Primary 5, I began to notice that she was becoming increasingly unhappy. This didn’t seem like the normal tween ‘angst’. It also didn’t help that this was when the pandemic first started and she had minimal contact with her classmates. She’d also been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, which meant that a big classroom with lots of kids was simply not ideal. So at the start of Primary Six, when she was coming home miserable every day, I realised that the local education system was not for her and that’s when I started looking at alternatives.
When friends and family heard about the decision, the ones who knew about international schools were very supportive, and knowing her situation, thought it was a good idea. Those who didn’t, were mostly curious about why I’d decided to go that route. In fact, I’ve had quite a number of people ask me about the process and what I’ve felt about it so far.
I’d already been speaking to my daughter through Primary 5 about what our options were - I wanted her to understand that I recognised that she wasn’t happy and had been starting to make plans to change that. I did have to tell her that unfortunately, she’d have to bear with it till the end of Primary 6. So when I suggested we have a look at some of the international schools, she was very interested to see what her choices could be.
Singapore has three international schools at the moment that follow a similar school year and accept local students in Year 7 - the equivalent to Sec 1. Anglo Chinese International, Hwa Chong International and St Joseph’s Institution International. So what do you need to know when considering an international school?
International schools go through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program which concentrates on smaller projects than big exams results. Add to the fact that it’s six years (essentially from sec 1 to JC 2), it also means less transitions and changes, and less exams (and exam stress) as the students won’t need to go through their GCE ‘O’ Levels. It also eliminates the whole process of picking a junior college to attend, and they’ll be supported in school all the way.
Research has shown that students in smaller classes tend to perform better as it creates a more nurturing environment, and international schools tend to keep their class sizes to almost half of a local school’s. This is especially beneficial to kids who need more academic support, particularly those who may have learning disabilities. This allows teachers more time to get to know their students better, and understand their skills and weaknesses to fully support them through these crucial years.
Students are encouraged to perform to the best of their abilities, and that they shouldn’t need additional enrichment classes outside of school. If needed, teachers will arrange for more support that happens through the school - this can be through a ‘mentor’ in the form of an older student or study groups.
While as parents we always want to give the best to our children, it’s a costly up-front expenditure that is not to be taken lightly. This is roughly around $30,000 per year for your child, which doesn’t include other peripheral things like field trips, uniforms and textbooks. Local secondary school fees, on the other hand, are around $3,600 - 7,200 a year, excluding peripheral costs.
Is it worth the investment? To me, it’s a resounding yes. I’ve noticed my child is so much more engaged and enthusiastic about school. She willingly wants to go to school even if she can have a half day off. To me, a happy child is a child who’s also happy learning.