Thank you zzj!
1. Pressure:
It was initially somewhat along what Xue Sheng mentioned. I have worked with a Singaporean lady here in London and she said (having done all schooling and university in Singapore) that it is quite a pressure cooker in the school system and that so much focus is placed on schooling that time spent on other aspects such as sports, gymnastics etc are little or non-existent. She said the pressure and competition to get into the top high schools and the university is very intense so that the focus on children is almost exclusively academic focus, with after school "cramming" (that's additional tutoring, etc) the norm.
Now I would be biased but I would say that my five year old girl is very smart and from an English perspective is where she should be with reading/writing and slightly ahead for maths. I drive her pretty hard on homework and extra stuff but she also has a great life with tennis, gymnastics, swimming etc and we spend a lot of the weekends in the woods, etc.
My concern is that I would be putting her (and in due course her two year old brother) in an environment where it is just academic focus or you don't get ahead in the school system or fail to get into the reputable schools and that this may mean she loses out on the non-academic and sports, and music, side of life as a kid.
2. My second question is, while her Mandarin is good (but not as fluent speaking or writing as English) as her mum is from Taipei, would we be best to put the kids into an international or ex-pat school, or is there the local option and what is the done or recommended thing? Given you are local this may not be something you have had to consider...
3. Cost: One of the options my wife is looking at includes ex-pat deal with schooling covered at primary level. Another option I am looking at pays more but no "ex-pat" deal. Do you or anyone else have an idea what the primary and then secondary school systems cost? Do you pay to use the local schools? Are the ex-pat or international schools very expensive?
Thanks so much zzj and everyone else.
1. Pressure
I will not deny that there is more academic emphasis on the whole, however, you have to realise that for a Singaporean, the pressure comes from several sources...
a) The cost of living...in particular housing and car prices. To put it bluntly, you would have to secure a university degree level job to have any real chance of a degree of comfortable living in Singapore. Those with a Polytechnic diploma or Technical Certificates in general will find it a struggle to maintain a decent standard of living. Thi is the reality that all Singaporean students are looking at, from the 1st day of their educational journey. For an expat however, your considerations/options would be different.
b) Parental Pressure. The stereotypical Asian Parent mindset is another big source of the pressure, as parents you believe it is your duty to push your children to the limit of their abilities so that they can lead better material lives in the future, and as children, you believe that it is your duty not to disappoint your parents, and to live up to their expectations. In your case, this may not apply, and personally, I hope not to perpetuate this rigid mindset in my family.
c) Blind belief in hard work / rote learning. I figured out at a relatively early age that studying smart is much more productive than simply studying hard, however, I think not enough parents or even teachers recognise this yet in Singapore. As a result, parents send their children to extra tuition classes to rack up the hours, and teachers tend to pile up the homework on their students. You can definitely help your children do better by helping them learn more effectively rather than succumbing to this unproductive study culture.
What I am trying to say is that, there are many variables within your control that determine if your children come under too much pressure in the education system, and while intrinsic pressure of the educational system is there, and probably more than in Western societies, it is but 1 contributing factor to the level of pressure that a Singaporean would face.
There are also 'co-curricular activities' available in all schools in Singapore, and while most Singaporean students may place too much emphasis on studying, it does not have to be the case. In my case I was in my Primary School's swimming club, art club and Tae Kwon Do club, and still managed to score well in my examinations due to my Parents' guidance.
2.The level of Mandarin Chinese Proficiency in SIngapore is not very high. Since your Wife was from Taiwan, I would guess that your daughter's Chinese standard would be on par, if not better than the average Singaporean Student of her age. I would not worry so much about her fitting in or catching up in Chinese lessons, the only difficulty may be switching from traditional to simplified Chinese Characters.
3. Schools are heavily subsidized for Singaporeans, however, I am unsure how much it would cost for an expat to send his/her children to a local school. International Schools would be much more expensive, and I am quite certain local schools would be significantly cheaper even for non-Singaporeans. I can help to check with my sis in law who is a vice principal of a Primary School if you want.
