Breakfast with the Principal

It's a fact that the second most important decision you will make as a parent — apart from deciding to have the kid in the first place — is deciding which school you're going to enrol them in. Make the right decision and you could put them on a path towards lifelong learning, a prestigious university education and a successful career. Choose wrong, and well, you know. Talk about pressure. 

Luckily for us, when it was time for my eldest child to hit Primary one, the decision was almost already carved in stone that she would go to one of the better schools in Singapore.  She would attend CHIJ Katong Primary.  The other good thing about that was the fact my daughter was guaranteed a place in the school since I was an ex convent girl. So no stress. No balloting. 

Almost three years after that registration,  it was time to register my son for primary school. This time round we really had to evaluate things from all angles. Apparently the Ministry of Education have since changed the rules. It used to be that Saint Stephen's school and CHIJ Katong was a brother sister school. Apparently not anymore. 

Of course I wanted to put my son in Saint Stephen's school. It was a good mission school and mostly because I didn't want to break the chain. The family tradition. There isn't any other all boys school around where we lived either. And ten to fifteen years ago, our family would never have even had neighbourhood government schools even cross our minds!

Times have changed though. Some of these neighbourhood schools have better facilities and curriculum than the mission schools. And this was when we started considering Bedok Green Primary since it was a five minute walk from where we lived. 

So it was time. Time to evaluate both schools.

Of course my first choice would still be Saint Stephen's but as I looked more in to it, there were more cons than pros. For one, we would have to deal with the stress of "what if he doesn't get in even after balloting?" The other is the fact that my parents don't drive and school buses at that school do not pick your kid up on days when they have extra lessons. But the number one reason is that my son always had health issues...from fever convulsions to now eczema. Thankfully it's almost 3 years since his last convulsion episode...he has finally grown out of it yet the phobia is still in us thus why he should be in a school that's easier for us to get to him quicker if needed but the school also has to be of a good standard. And for that very reason, Bedok Green Primary was looking more like a better choice.

But I didn't stop there. I continued my research. I've heard nothing but good things said about Bedok Green and after my research I was pretty impressed myself. 

Four months into my son being in primary one at Bedok Green and I've got nothing but good things to say. I'm especially glad we chose this school and did not simply give it a miss just because it is "only" a neighbourhood school.

Best part is that the transition for my son was smooth since he had some of his kindergarten classmates in his current class…and Bedok Green is definitely better organised than my daughter's school.

Today I attended a session at my son's school called "Breakfast with the Principal". This was planned weeks before. The school administrator called and invited us but it was a work day and a very busy period for both my husband and I so we almost gave it a miss...until....

We found out that not all parents of the primary one students were invited. Only a selected few. Because of that, I made the extra effort to clear my schedule to attend it. The school even took the trouble to send the children of the invited parents home with this invitation card. 

It's really little things like this that shows how much a school takes pride in what they do.

The session was very informative and parents got to interact with one another. I am especially pleased that the principal and some teachers took time out of their busy schedules to be there to answer our questions and to just talk to the parents. 

My conclusion is that choosing a school for your child is important. It doesn't mean that the neighbourhood schools will not be able to make leaders out of your child, and neither will a TOP school guarantee that your children will become leaders. The reality is that, no matter what school a child goes in to, being a leader mostly depends on the individual. Of course, you still have to evaluate schools and look in to what you think is best for your child. Again I stress that every child is different. 

For me, when I did my evaluation, I looked into convenience for everyone and environment of the school. The key was also the relationship between teachers and students. The connection between your child and a teacher is much more important than any curriculum. I did speak to some teachers before making the final decision and I am glad I did because my son’s teachers are wonderful. They are able to speak about individual students' strengths and weaknesses and are well informed of their background, interests, emotional and academic achievements. Teachers at my son’s school takes great pride in their students' progress and is consistently open to their improvement. They are constantly ready for the kids to step up and learn more. 

Teachers matter - even more than you think. Excellent teachers not only teach more, but they can even accelerate the rate of learning among their students. And good schools champion great teachers. They grow them. Bedok Green has proven that they have done just that.

This school don’t seem to focus too much on standardized test scores or that’s what I feel anyway. It’s not a bad thing. I like that. You see, sometimes, good test scores can be an indication that a school is doing a very good job of educating its students, but other times it can be an indication that the school is teaching to the test. Standardized tests only measure about a third of the curriculum that should be being taught in the school, which means if the school is only teaching the test material, your child is missing out on a lot. 

It's really not all in the name. There is no colloquial designation that guarantees quality. Top name schools does not mean the school is a success. Just do your homework. The neighbourhood school down the road could be just as good as the top schools that costs $10,000 a year. Because education isn't necessarily a matter of ‘getting what you pay for’.

As parents we require knowledge, perseverance and energy to make informed choices about our children’s education. It is important to understand the education system clearly, as well as the options available before making the final decision. By gathering information, researching and evaluating your options, you will be better equipped to investigate the rich smorgasbord of schools available.

Of course we all want to give our children the best opportunities that are available, but it pays to remember that whatever school we choose, or however limited our options are by finances, convenience or locality, the greatest influence on the final outcome will be the home and family. 

It’s is ok to be a “kiasu” parent. Start shopping for schools long before your child is due to start school. You can find out about schools and what they offer by contacting individual schools and asking for a prospectus or handbook. You can also get a ‘feel’ for schools by attending Open Days and talking to teachers, families and friends. Try to find out why they feel the way they do.

Be discerning about community opinion. School’s reputations change slowly, so a popular school may be trading off a reputation gained years ago which may or may not be still justified. Another school may be doing everything right but still be suffering from a previous ‘bad name’.

It’s important to seriously consider your child’s needs as well as your own expectations and values. If you find it difficult to be objective about your own child, talking to preschool teachers might help you decide what sort of school environment your child would respond to best.

You may have a definite preference for large or small school, or the same or a similar school to the one you attended. Other factors such as religion, discipline or diversity may be a key factor in your decision.

The school environment will have a considerable influence on your child, so it is reasonable to expect the values promoted to at least approximate your own. Values don’t just mean moral and religious values. They can also refer to a range of social issues, or even something as mundane as the nutrition available at the school canteen. If it’s important to you, it’s not mundane.

There are also practical aspects to consider. How much involvement do you want in school related activities? Some schools expect a high level of parent involvement, others less. What about location and the proximity of public transport? 

Compile a checklist of features which are important to you and your child. Then think about the questions you need to ask to gain the information you need.  

But above all, include your child in the decision making process. Listen to any concerns children express and acknowledge their feelings. Then, when you have chosen a school and enrolled your child, celebrate together to give a positive start to the new direction to both your lives.