International Schools in Singapore – A brief overview along with examples
Singapore has grown into one of the most popular cities among expat families for numerous reasons. Singaporeans enjoy an excellent quality of life, long and efficient public transport system, a strong economy, a super low crime rate, and a unique culture that’s a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and more.
There’s only one comparative drawback – the high cost of living in Singapore. Expat life in Singapore comes slightly expensive even when it comes to education. In fact, fee rates differ for expats as compared to resident families and are at times much higher than the general rates. But while they may not be budget-friendly for everyone, they are very well known. Singapore’s schools have an international reputation for producing high-achieving, Ivy League calibre students.
The good news is that along with high expenses, the standard of education in international schools in Singapore is pretty high. The vast majority of schools go beyond merely teaching children their syllabus- and offer perks like free transport and midday meals for your child, apart from a wide choice of extra curricular activities and a whole lot more.
As a result of the above, seats in international schools are limited. Even in the public school system in Singapore competition is extremely high. Nevertheless, you’ll have to contend with waiting lists, so the best move would be to apply as early as possible. In case you decide to go down the local or public school route, be aware that citizens and permanent residents get ample precedence over expats.
Since Singapore is a multicultural city with a large international community, you’ll find a complex hue of international schools in Singapore. International Baccalaureate, European, American, Indian, Australian, even Japanese curricula are present for your child. In fact, nowadays, due to the Covid outbreak, many schools now look towards online classes and have turned into highly efficient online schools.
If you choose to keep your preferences open, some Singaporean schools even offer mixed or ‘hybrid’ curricula. This means they’ll teach more than one curriculum within the school, while allowing you to choose between them as well. In some cases they may even employ elements of two curricula concurrently to the same class – Thus, an international curriculum plus a national curriculum is the usual model for this.
With this, let us look at a couple options of pretty renowned International Schools-
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Global Indian International School
This school is a part of a global brand which has branches across 7 countries with 22 campuses. They are located in India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, the UAE and out here in Singapore as well. Quite a few aspects about them are special ranging from campus life, curriculum offered to even the scholarships offered.
Talking about GIIS’s campus facilities, there are 2 different campuses in Singapore. The primary one is their SMART campus located in Punggol on the west coast while the other one in Cheviot Hill on the east coast. Both offer roughly similar facilities however, the campus at Punggol is relatively established in that respect. Here are the major facilities offered at GIIS Singapore-
Britannica Learning Zone, Montessori Laboratory, Kindergarten Play Area, Music Room for Kindergarten, Library, IT Lab, Maths Lab, Audio-Visual Room, Separate Labs for for all the Sciences, Multi-purpose Hall, Yoga Room and even a value based Mahatma Gandhi Centre.
Now aside from the above mentioned facilities, it also has targeted facilities like NextGen Studios, Sports facilities, Collaboration areas, Digital Classrooms alongside a Hostel Facility.
It would be interesting to note that under studios, they have a wide range of offerings which covers a Radio Studio (which was inaugurated by the famous musician Shankar Mahadevan) and a TV Recording studio (which was inaugurated by actor Shabana Azmi), a Culinary and Ceramic Studio and a Performing Arts Studio. In order to conduct group activities of multiple kinds, a Student Innovation Room for quality discussions and project works exists.
Talking about Digital Classrooms, they have Digital Smart TVs, iPads, Macbooks, AV elements, a great ambience and to top it all off, an extremely fast WiFi network.
And as for the Hostel, it is merged with the school with the help of dedicated transport vehicles, triple sharing or single room sharing along with a continuous facility for catering.
All in all, these two schools give a major meaning to what schools are like in Singapore and you can definitely go by their reputation if you want a general perspective of good international schools in Singapore.
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St. Joseph’s International School
Established back in 2007, the St. Joseph’s School offers a complete, values-driven and international educational experience to a multitude of students across 40 nationalities rooted in Singapore. As a school with a connection with the Lasallian Catholic foundation, SJI International’s s community welcomes students, teachers, parents and friends of all faiths and cultural backgrounds and its core Lasallian values are central to everything that SJI International believes in: spirituality, mutual respect, internationalism, entrepreneurship, experiences and service.
The school develops students who are intrinsically motivated to serve others and to give back to the community.
Special provision for Catholic families at SJI International includes after-school catechism classes, daily prayers and regular Mass in the school chapel along with regular opportunities to attend the sacrament of reconciliation, and other celebrations that explore and deepen their faith throughout the liturgical year.
Today, SJI International boasts of a community of 1,900 students across two schools. The High School includes both Singaporean and international students in Grades 7 – 12 (ages 12 – 18); while the Elementary School supports expatriate children from preschool Prep 1 – 2 (ages 4 turning 5 – 6) and Grades 1 – 6 (ages 7 – 12).
