Primary School Question

[Clazav]

my child enters primary one in two years' time, so registration next year. I have been working my socks off volunteering at my grassroots for the last five years to have a higher chance for him to enroll at a nearby good school.

However as my 5y MOP for HDB is up and with my HDB fully paid, I have dreams of upgrading to a landed house but that means my child may end up in a average primary school at the new place. It is too late to start grassroots again at the new place considering registration is next year.

Any parents here have any advice for this? Is your child's future more important than a house?

How many kids do you have? And is the good school a mixed school? Assuming you have 2 kids, getting the 1st kid in means both will get in.
If you only have 1 kid, the family is just 3 persons, or maybe 1 more maid. Do you need a landed?

 

[Clazav]

Ok I know such sad cases where parents are super thrifty and unhappiness but bite the bullet just to let the kids go to top school. You ask them sell house sell kidney they might be ok. This kind I think overdo it. The kids can see and feel it and unknowingly have too much stress added on and might not perform well in the school.

But TS is not in this category. In fact he sell house to buy bigger one lol.

 

[Clazav]

In some sense, my situation is similar to TS as I need to wait for my kids to enter primary school using the current address. The house is getting small as the kids are growing. Hope to move to a bigger place but I'll need to wait few years for them to enter primary schools.

 

[BeerForBreakfast]

In some sense, my situation is similar to TS as I need to wait for my kids to enter primary school using the current address. The house is getting small as the kids are growing. Hope to move to a bigger place but I'll need to wait few years for them to enter primary schools.

What sch are you aiming? Just buy a bigger home within 1km of your preferred school now lah

I am not that bothered to get my kids into super popular primary schools because at the end of the day, it’s the child’s abilities and not the school. You can go to Rosyth and end up in some shite secondary school. So why bother? I do not think if you go look at the data of students in top secondary schools you find there are more students from top primary schools except in the case of those full schools that give affiliated primary school discount entry

 

[mikeeeey]

In some sense, my situation is similar to TS as I need to wait for my kids to enter primary school using the current address. The house is getting small as the kids are growing. Hope to move to a bigger place but I'll need to wait few years for them to enter primary schools.

when they enter still need to wait till p3 before can move out hor...

 

[䏣炆玧示老太]

a smart way out is rent a nearby flat for the same 1km radius address for the school
sell off HDB go to buy whatever house but don't change NRIC address to that house

 

[momoeagle]

Ok I know such sad cases where parents are super thrifty and unhappiness but bite the bullet just to let the kids go to top school. You ask them sell house sell kidney they might be ok. This kind I think overdo it. The kids can see and feel it and unknowingly have too much stress added on and might not perform well in the school.

But TS is not in this category. In fact he sell house to buy bigger one lol.

My dad lor, last time I PSLE qualify for top sec sch, independent one. I think need to pay $180 per month or something like that. My dad salary not high, so it was quite a bit of a squeeze back then. But he wasn't unhappy of course, he was ok to do it as I don't really have any other wants. Unlike my siblings, I did not want a discman, nor mp3 player, nor anything. In fact, I only wanted story books, at that time Enid Blyton's books were rather cheap.

Luckily the affiliated JC at that time was not independent yet, but govt subsidised, so only $6 per month. Only the one time A level fee more expensive as I took total of 7 subjects in J2.

 

[䏣炆玧示老太]

Renting just for this seems very exaggerated. I can't believe got people doing such things.

Why not just use church/clan associations? No need to go into Rosyth. I think any decent school, esp the mission schools would be fine. Anyway primary also all using the same MOE curriculum. I don't even know if there is such as thing as Independent primary school. Got or not? The fact that the whole list of Independent Schools in SG do not include primary school tells me that Primary school doesn't make much of a difference compared to Secondary school where the school can take more liberties to customize their own programs. https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary school&q=*&fq=school_journey_ss:"Secondary school"&fq=school_type_ss"Independent School")&fl=*&sort=slug_s asc

Going to a brand name school just means the sch got more middle class parents with the time and mental bandwidth to bother about this so maybe the peers are a bit better but I doubt this really makes a huge difference considering how small SG is.

Knew of people networth 8 digits go to rent a Marine Parade 3rm HDB flat just for Taonan 1km ballot chance

 

[BeerForBreakfast]

Knew of people networth 8 digits go to rent a Marine Parade 3rm HDB flat just for Taonan 1km ballot chance

This kind usually are the new uncouth rich. Cuz old rich have alumni ties. Don't even need to sweat about schools.

 

[BeerForBreakfast]

my child enters primary one in two years' time, so registration next year. I have been working my socks off volunteering at my grassroots for the last five years to have a higher chance for him to enroll at a nearby good school.

However as my 5y MOP for HDB is up and with my HDB fully paid, I have dreams of upgrading to a landed house but that means my child may end up in a average primary school at the new place. It is too late to start grassroots again at the new place considering registration is next year.

Any parents here have any advice for this? Is your child's future more important than a house?

Any Tom Dick or Harry also have fully paid up when its HDB.

If you only full paid up a resale HDB, unless you have at least another S$2-3 million in cash and other liquid assets on top of your fully paid up HDB, I don't think you are in a position to buy a landed unless you are prepared to work until 70.

 

[marshmallow96]

This kind usually are the new uncouth rich. Cuz old rich have alumni ties. Don't even need to sweat about schools.

Lol nowadays many of the popular schools need to ballot for alumni (not just top schools, the more popular neighbourhood schools also). Many alumni are moving nearer just for higher chance to get in

 

[BeerForBreakfast]

Lol nowadays many of the popular schools need to ballot for alumni (not just top schools, the more popular neighbourhood schools also). Many alumni are moving nearer just for higher chance to get in

This happened only during those years like Dragon and SG50 babies. Then made headlines. Then the next year batch headlines is "Record lowest birth rate in history". Its too bad for the gian png parents who want the government freebies and parents who believe in fairytales.

 

[marshmallow96]

This happened only during those years like Dragon and SG50 babies. Then made headlines. Then the next year batch headlines is "Record lowest birth rate in history". Its too bad for the gian png parents who want the government freebies and parents who believe in fairytales.

2012 (dragon), 2014, 2015 (SG50), 2016, 2017 all similar citizen birth rates. Anyway what I described is the trend for recent years, not outliners. My colleagues who were done with primary school registrations just a few years ago are already out of touch with the ground situation now. They are surprised to hear that people don’t volunteer to get into “top schools” nowadays. Many volunteer just to ensure a chance to get into the school downstairs of their house.

Anyway not going to argue about whether top schools really good etc, just to point out current situations. Re housing, I just feel no hurry esp in current market.

 

[䏣炆玧示老太]

People with 8 digit net worth go all the way out to rent a whole HDB flat just for tiny Taonan.
Local sinkies think left and right want to give up own HDB in “good” school 1km radius.
what a contrast!

 

[BeerForBreakfast]

2012 (dragon), 2014, 2015 (SG50), 2016, 2017 all similar citizen birth rates. Anyway what I described is the trend for recent years, not outliners. My colleagues who were done with primary school registrations just a few years ago are already out of touch with the ground situation now. They are surprised to hear that people don’t volunteer to get into “top schools” nowadays. Many volunteer just to ensure a chance to get into the school downstairs of their house.

Anyway not going to argue about whether top schools really good etc, just to point out current situations. Re housing, I just feel no hurry esp in current market.

Oh really? You checked and have the data on hand or have a vague idea then posted? I just checked 2017, which you said is similar to 2012 dragon. This is the headlines

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/number-of-births-in-singapore-fell-to-eight-year-low-in-2017

SINGAPORE - In rapidly ageing Singapore, the demographics are worrying.

Last year (2017), the number of babies born fell to a seven-year low, while the number of deaths was the highest in at least two decades.

A total of 39,615 births were registered, four per cent fewer than the 41,251 in 2016. Last year's number was also the lowest since 2010, when 37,967 babies were born.


On the other hand, the number of deaths rose by 4 per cent from 20,017 in 2016 to 20,905 last year, the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2017 showed. The report was released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore on Wednesday (July 11).

The number of deaths has been on an upward trajectory since at least 1998, as the number of people aged 65 and older has more than doubled in that time frame, academics say. There were 15,657 deaths in 1998, the furthest back that the ICA report goes.

 

[marshmallow96]

People with 8 digit net worth go all the way out to rent a whole HDB flat just for tiny Taonan.
Local sinkies think left and right want to give up own HDB in “good” school 1km radius.
what a contrast!

Even within 1km… ballot in first then talk.

anyway opinion can change once the child is in the school. examples (both neighbourhood schools btw):

Friend A lost ballot to a popular school downstairs and went to a neighbourhood school further away in 2CS. Now Friend A likes the school and consider to move nearer.

Friend B’s child entered a neighbourhood school without ballot. Word of mouth was ok but once the child is in, Friend B realised the school is super disorganised and Friend B got annoyed on a daily basis. Friend B was already hunting for a bigger home, at first was looking around the child’s school. Now that Friend B is unhappy with the school, suddenly whole Singapore becomes possible location as they don’t mind moving the child to another school anytime.

So… get into the school first then talk about house bah

 

[marshmallow96]

Oh really? You checked and have the data on hand or have a vague idea then posted? I just checked 2017, which you said is similar to 2012 dragon. This is the headlines

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/number-of-births-in-singapore-fell-to-eight-year-low-in-2017

SINGAPORE - In rapidly ageing Singapore, the demographics are worrying.

Last year (2017), the number of babies born fell to a seven-year low, while the number of deaths was the highest in at least two decades.

A total of 39,615 births were registered, four per cent fewer than the 41,251 in 2016. Last year's number was also the lowest since 2010, when 37,967 babies were born.


On the other hand, the number of deaths rose by 4 per cent from 20,017 in 2016 to 20,905 last year, the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2017 showed. The report was released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore on Wednesday (July 11).

The number of deaths has been on an upward trajectory since at least 1998, as the number of people aged 65 and older has more than doubled in that time frame, academics say. There were 15,657 deaths in 1998, the furthest back that the ICA report goes.

I have the data on hand. The numbers you mentioned above are total live births. For school balloting, only citizen birth rate matters (cos usually popular schools will be balloting within 1km for SG citizens only). Citizen birth number not reported in news all the time, but you can find the number from the annual population report

 

[holasingapura]

Oh really? You checked and have the data on hand or have a vague idea then posted? I just checked 2017, which you said is similar to 2012 dragon. This is the headlines

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/number-of-births-in-singapore-fell-to-eight-year-low-in-2017

SINGAPORE - In rapidly ageing Singapore, the demographics are worrying.

Last year (2017), the number of babies born fell to a seven-year low, while the number of deaths was the highest in at least two decades.

A total of 39,615 births were registered, four per cent fewer than the 41,251 in 2016. Last year's number was also the lowest since 2010, when 37,967 babies were born.


On the other hand, the number of deaths rose by 4 per cent from 20,017 in 2016 to 20,905 last year, the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2017 showed. The report was released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore on Wednesday (July 11).

The number of deaths has been on an upward trajectory since at least 1998, as the number of people aged 65 and older has more than doubled in that time frame, academics say. There were 15,657 deaths in 1998, the furthest back that the ICA report goes.

Sinkies and agents still worried about 10m population . Statistics are there for all to see.

 

[䏣炆玧示老太]

Sinkies and agents still worried about 10m population . Statistics are there for all to see.

Can’t even go above 6M
Don’t boast about 10M lar
Later Aussie population hit 50m laugh at you all

 

[wlcling]

Even within 1km… ballot in first then talk.

anyway opinion can change once the child is in the school. examples (both neighbourhood schools btw):

Friend A lost ballot to a popular school downstairs and went to a neighbourhood school further away in 2CS. Now Friend A likes the school and consider to move nearer.

Friend B’s child entered a neighbourhood school without ballot. Word of mouth was ok but once the child is in, Friend B realised the school is super disorganised and Friend B got amped on a daily basis. Friend B was already hunting for a bigger home, at first was looking around the child’s school. Now that Friend B is unhappy with the school, suddenly whole Singapore becomes possible location as they don’t mind moving the child to another school anytime.

So… get into the school first then talk about house bah

i originally didnt care about good schools all that, just went with whats convenient. End up feel 'the' neighbourhood school selected dont feel so good environment somehow. Sorry, but when my primary kid told me he was "lepak" with some friends in quiet area of multistory carpark i kinda omg moment.

i mean i advocate independence & social, so i do give alot of freedom.. in that sense i appreciate my kid has the street-smarts but growing up years can be worrying. but in that case i feel then that both school & house environment matters alot.