You just need to find out and explore your options carefully.
Your child will be starting his Primary School journey next year. Come July, it will be time to register him for Primary One.
If you are confused and stressed about which school your child should go to, here are five simple tips to ease your mind about the whole registration process.
1. Look beyond PSLE T-scores and check for good fit
It need not always be about academically-strong schools. After all, certain schools with expectations of high standards of work and that give homework that is much more than you would like, may not be the right fit for your child.
There are many schools out there, but each school has a niche area. Be it dance, sports or academics, find out if the school’s specialty matches your child’s strength.
For example, if your child has a natural aptitude for art, an artistically-inclined school would be the best place for him in terms of support and opportunities. This would go a long way in building his self-esteem and confidence, while also improving his academic competence.
2. Follow the road ‘less longer’
It might not seem like a big deal now if your desired school is more than a few kilometres from your home. You may think of arranging the school bus for transport or shuttling him up and down yourself. This plan might just be perfect – except for a few glaring realities.
Travelling for a long time to and from school can tire your Primary One child. Together with battling morning and evening peak-hour traffic on the expressways, this option seems set to exhaust your child. It also leaves your child little time to play, and makes your child lethargic.
Priority will also be given to those who live nearer the school, usually within one kilometre, before proceeding to those who live farther. In case you have plans to move houses to be nearer to your child’s potential school, take note of the new rule effective this year that requires at least 30 months of residency from the start of the Primary One registration.
So unless you plan to stay at a new place for the long haul, look for a school near your current place.
Stay calm and do your homework.
3. Keep a lookout for a Student Care Centre
Having placed your child in child-care centres through his nursery and kindergarten years, you may be stressed about who would look after your child when you are away at work.
It is therefore a good idea to look for a school with a Student Care Centre that is very near your school of choice. A number of schools actually have one within the school’s compound.
An in-house Student Care Centre offers a much higher chance of having programmes that are aligned with the school’s curriculum. Safety concerns will also be taken cared of.
4. Search for one with Mother Tongue
Not all schools offer all three main Mother Tongue languages. If the school does not have your choice of Mother Tongue (other than Chinese), it would mean that your child would have to travel to a separate MOE-designated language centre, after school-hours or even on a weekend. You have to weigh the pros and cons of doing this.
5. Have a back-up
Do you suspect that your target school is popular and you would likely undergo balloting? You must entertain the possibility that you may not get your first choice.
It would do you well, then, to have one or two alternatives. Do not rule out other options, and keep an open mind.
Explore your neighbourhood and decide on your second and third choices. At least you do not need to panic if you do not get your first-choice school and you can reduce your nail-biting moments during balloting, as you know you have other good options.
Choose a school that will make your child happy and love learning.
There is little need to get the jitters when your little one is ready to start primary school. Do not pass your anxiety to your child. Let your child go to a school where he can be happy and more importantly, learn to love learning.
What are some of your thoughts about the Primary One Registration? Share your comments below.