“There are parents moving house just to get their girls in. Why didn’t you send them there?” asked one.
“You should think long-term. PSLE will be less stressful,” advised another.
While I love my school and agree with my friends to a certain extent, ultimately, I decided otherwise.
My husband and I chose to send our eldest child, a boy, now 19, to a nearby school.
We picked one that was three bus stops away, known for not giving too much homework, as I prefer my children to have more free time to play, read or rest.
When it came to my elder daughter’s turn to register for Primary 1, we had a choice of my alma mater – which was more than an hour away by public transport – or her brother’s school.
Based on the rules then, my daughter, now 16, stood a chance at the popular primary school I attended, even though we live outside the 2km radius.
Ultimately, distance won out. We picked her brother’s school so that she would not have to wake up at 5.30am to wait for a school bus to pick her before 6am.
How important is a school’s reputation?
There are parents who view primary school registration as a high-stakes exercise, going all out to ensure their child gets into a branded school.
Some even go as far as to lie about their home address. This is because when there is more demand than places in a school, priority is given first to Singapore citizens living within 1km of the school, then those between 1 and 2km and, lastly, those outside 2km.
In June, a parent was charged with giving a false address to enrol her daughter in a primary school.
She is not the only one. More parents have been caught over the last five years for using false home addresses to get a place for their child in popular primary schools.
Parents who prioritise a school’s reputation say they like the network that their children would be able to tap in time. They also like the “safety net” of having an affiliated, brand-name secondary school that their child can fall back on should he or she not do as well in the PSLE.
Some believe that these schools have better teachers.
But with principals and vice-principals rotated every five to seven years, I would increasingly expect best practices to be shared among the schools whenever leaders move.
In addition, from 2027, key personnel – such as heads of departments who have been in the same schools for more than eight years – will also be reshuffled so that more schools get to benefit from their experience.
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Advantages of a nearby primary school
My two older children adjusted well to their primary school, enjoyed their co-curricular activities (CCA) and had friends they enjoyed spending time with.
So much so that when it came to my now nine-year-old daughter’s turn to register for Primary 1, they were rooting for her to attend their school.
Attending the same school gave my two older children more opportunities to bond as they shared similar school experiences and teachers.
Even though two of them have graduated from the school, they feel a sense of affinity when my younger daughter talks about their school, CCA and teachers – some of whom had taught them before.
Having a shared experience they can bond over despite a wide age gap is precious.
With a nearby school, they get more sleep every day. Saving time on a long journey to and from school provided more time for rest, homework and play.
This may be more critical as CCA and extra lessons end later in upper-primary levels.
Some friends who chose to send their child to a neighbourhood school like the “big fish in a small pond” effect. The competition is not as keen and the child has time to adjust to the rigours of formal schooling.
Impact on secondary school choice
The only time I second-guessed my choice of school for my daughters was when my elder one was sitting the PSLE.
I briefly wondered if I had done her a disservice by not sending her to my alma mater with its safety net and all.
But seeing the extra rest and downtime she gets every day, as well as a pace of learning that suits her in both her primary and secondary schools, convinced me that it was the right decision for her.
Furthermore, without an affiliated secondary school, we could focus on looking for one we felt she would thrive in.
If I had put her in my alma mater, I might have felt compelled to let her continue in its affiliated secondary school, and I’m not sure if she would have been happy there.
Years into motherhood, I have become more discerning and now look beyond the brand of a school to consider whether it would be a good fit for my child.
What to consider when picking a primary school
The Primary 1 registration exercise is going on and July 21 is the start of Phase 2B, for a child whose parent is a parent volunteer, or those with church or clan connections or community leaders.
Factors to take into consideration when selecting a school for a child include distance and school culture.
It may also be useful to find out if the school has a CCA one’s child might enjoy, as not all schools offer a full suite of activities.
Special-needs support and emphasis on mother tongue are other areas to think about.
Finally, it is important to understand the child’s strengths and interests.
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I spoke to a parent who sent her two sons to her alma mater, one with a strong Chinese heritage. She sometimes wonders if she did the right thing, as they are struggling with Higher Chinese and find it challenging to cope with the level of difficulty and amount of homework they are given.
To help them catch up, they attend tuition for a subject which they are not interested in.
“I sometimes wonder if they might not dislike Mandarin so much if they went to another school where they do not take higher mother tongue,” she mused.
Of course, for every child who struggles, there will be one who thrives in the school. So, knowing a child’s inclinations might be key to finding a school he or she will bloom in.
Phase 2B might be a period of anxiety for parents who are hoping their child will get into their top-choice school.
But whichever school your children end up going to, encourage them to bloom where they are planted and they may blossom beyond your expectations.
Jane Ng is a correspondent at The Straits Times who covers parenting and education stories. She also writes a monthly column, Minor Issues, where she mulls over her own parenting dilemmas.
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