[Bukit Timah] Primary Schools
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Dear Mummies,
I have noticed that a lot of pp are willing to give and arm and a leg to get their daughter’s into MGS. Would like to know the reasons for the school’s popularity. I have friends who are willing to spend money on renting a unit nearby just to secure their gals a place there, some spending as much as $40K in a year.
Personally, am an old gal there and didn’t find it that good. The school is super snooty with lots of rich kids there and I don’t want my child to feel pressured. I want to send her to a school where there is a better mix of children so that she gets a better grasp of what society is really like. Am thinking of Pei Hwa but am too late for PV altho I can ballot because I stay within 1 km.
Lots of pp have been telling me that I am so blessed to be an old gal and I can get my daughter in so easily. Apparently, I would be crazy to give up my place there.
Please share you thoughts… I am seriously thinking of deviating from the norm and balloting to get her into Pei Hwa. -
kaitlynangelica:
You are:...Personally, am an old gal there and didn't find it that good. The school is super snooty with lots of rich kids there and I don't want my child to feel pressured. I want to send her to a school where there is a better mix of children so that she gets a better grasp of what society is really like. Am thinking of Pei Hwa but am too late for PV altho I can ballot because I stay within 1 km.
Lots of pp have been telling me that I am so blessed to be an old gal and I can get my daughter in so easily. Apparently, I would be crazy to give up my place there...
1. an old girl of MGS
2. stay around the area
3. no need to PV and pull any stunt to get into MGS
and you are thinking of joining the crowd to get into Pei Hwa?
OK... I agree with everyone else you have spoken to that you're nuts :lol:
But seriously, I think you and I belong to the class of people who don't think much of our own experiences. What's the big deal, we ask? I myself have been through St. Andrew's for 10 years and I did not think of sending my son there because of the distance and I did not think it was that great, given what I know about the school. Yet now that he is in P4, I compare what I think I know of myself in P4 with what I feel my son is right now, and I feel that he does not possess the same kind of burning pride and fighting spirit that marked most graduates of St. Andrew's. Yes, our Chinese sucked big time, but you cannot fault our commitment and professionalism when it comes to getting things done to perfection. Up and On! There is a bit of elitism and what I perceived as favoritism in the school, but it has made me what I am, and I am thankful for it. I don't think I would have been the same if I went to Mattar Primary School like everyone else in my neighbourhood.
Good schools give students that extra confidence and belief in themselves necessary for them to succeed in life. Personally, I think both MGS and Pei Hwa qualify as good schools, and it really doesn't matter as long as your child end up in either one of them. So I would choose the one that I will have the least trouble getting my child in. Also, do not discount the emotional impact on the child that she is going to be studying in the same school as mummy did, once upon a time. -
ChiefKiasu:
You are:kaitlynangelica:
...Personally, am an old gal there and didn't find it that good. The school is super snooty with lots of rich kids there and I don't want my child to feel pressured. I want to send her to a school where there is a better mix of children so that she gets a better grasp of what society is really like. Am thinking of Pei Hwa but am too late for PV altho I can ballot because I stay within 1 km.
Lots of pp have been telling me that I am so blessed to be an old gal and I can get my daughter in so easily. Apparently, I would be crazy to give up my place there...
1. an old girl of MGS
2. stay around the area
3. no need to PV and pull any stunt to get into MGS
and you are thinking of joining the crowd to get into Pei Hwa?
OK... I agree with everyone else you have spoken to that you're nuts :lol:
But seriously, I think you and I belong to the class of people who don't think much of our own experiences. What's the big deal, we ask? I myself have been through St. Andrew's for 10 years and I did not think of sending my son there because of the distance and I did not think it was that great, given what I know about the school. Yet now that he is in P4, I compare what I think I know of myself in P4 with what I feel my son is right now, and I feel that he does not possess the same kind of burning pride and fighting spirit that marked most graduates of St. Andrew's. Yes, our Chinese sucked big time, but you cannot fault our commitment and professionalism when it comes to getting things done to perfection. Up and On! There is a bit of elitism and what I perceived as favoritism in the school, but it has made me what I am, and I am thankful for it. I don't think I would have been the same if I went to Mattar Primary School like everyone else in my neighbourhood.
Good schools give students that extra confidence and belief in themselves necessary for them to succeed in life. Personally, I think both MGS and Pei Hwa qualify as good schools, and it really doesn't matter as long as your child end up in either one of them. So I would choose the one that I will have the least trouble getting my child in. Also, do not discount the emotional impact on the child that she is going to be studying in the same school as mummy did, once upon a time.
Chief,
I grew up thinking that everyone went to a mission school. Seriously, talk about being sheltered.
Then when I went out to work, I realised that a lot of pp who climbed far up the career ladder came from neighbourhood schools. So, they ended the race well didn't they?
Really, IMHO, no big deal lor............
Like I said in my earlier post, I think Pei Hwa will have a better mix of pp from society and I want my daughter to grow up knowing that there are pp who live in HDB flats as well. -
kaitlynangelica:
I'm not sure if Pei Hwa qualifies as a neighbourhood school...I grew up thinking that everyone went to a mission school. Seriously, talk about being sheltered.
Then when I went out to work, I realised that a lot of pp who climbed far up the career ladder came from neighbourhood schools. So, they ended the race well didn't they?
Really, IMHO, no big deal lor............
Like I said in my earlier post, I think Pei Hwa will have a better mix of pp from society and I want my daughter to grow up knowing that there are pp who live in HDB flats as well.
In fact, I'm not sure if any school in the Bukit Timah area qualifies as a neighbourhood school.
Not doubt many from the so called no-name neighbourhood primary schools can succeed and do well in life. But the statistical probability of that happening in the better schools is much higher. In a sense, it is self-fulfilling, because the children of the better schools probably have better informed and financially-capable parents who would do everything to give their children the edge to succeed in a much more competitive environment than the \"neighbourhood\" schools. I've seen that at work myself in St. Andrew's, how it seems like most of my classmates knew how to play the piano, swim competitively, had parents that helped them with the schoolwork and projects, when I had none of those privileges and had to do everything myself. But that became a source of motivation for myself, and the greatest joy to me when I top my level was that I can achieve it all by myself without the frills.
You don't have to put your child in a neighbourhood school to teach her humility by letting her interact with heart-land kids. I'm sure there are plenty of less financially-capable kids in the branded schools too. A key outcome a Primary school can give to its students is the ability to land places in good Secondary schools which will define the academic future of the students. -
I think the reason why kaitlynangelica is deliberating is because she has 2 choices: 1. MGS (old girl sure gets in) and 2. PHPS (within 1km high chance too as this year ballot 1-2km). I think that if kaitlynangelica doesnt stay within 1km of PHPS, she would surely enrol her child in MGS right?
For ppl like us with only one choice, we dont have the luxury of thoughts
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Luanee:
Hi Luanee,I think the reason why kaitlynangelica is deliberating is because she has 2 choices: 1. MGS (old girl sure gets in) and 2. PHPS (within 1km high chance too as this year ballot 1-2km). I think that if kaitlynangelica doesnt stay within 1km of PHPS, she would surely enrol her child in MGS right?
For ppl like us with only one choice, we dont have the luxury of thoughts
If I was staying far away, may consider sending my child to school nearer. I used to stay in Jurong and a lot of pp sent the child to Rulang there. I am just wondering what is the big deal since everyone keeps on telling me how lucky I am. My husband and I are both from ACS and MGS and we both don't understand why pp are so desperate to get their child into these schools. Sad to say, perhaps its because we dont' have that sense of belonging to our alma maters. Also, we both have the agreement that these schools tend to be filled with kids from rich families and we don't want our only daughter growing up with the wrong values. -
kaitlynangelica:
I always think that mission schools tend to inculcate good moral values in the kids, no ? No doubt that the schools tend to be filled with kids from rich families, but still, I don't think the kids will grow up with the wrong values just by attending these schools. How about the values that we teach them from young ?
Hi Luanee,Luanee:
I think the reason why kaitlynangelica is deliberating is because she has 2 choices: 1. MGS (old girl sure gets in) and 2. PHPS (within 1km high chance too as this year ballot 1-2km). I think that if kaitlynangelica doesnt stay within 1km of PHPS, she would surely enrol her child in MGS right?
For ppl like us with only one choice, we dont have the luxury of thoughts
If I was staying far away, may consider sending my child to school nearer. I used to stay in Jurong and a lot of pp sent the child to Rulang there. I am just wondering what is the big deal since everyone keeps on telling me how lucky I am. My husband and I are both from ACS and MGS and we both don't understand why pp are so desperate to get their child into these schools. Sad to say, perhaps its because we dont' have that sense of belonging to our alma maters. Also, we both have the agreement that these schools tend to be filled with kids from rich families and we don't want our only daughter growing up with the wrong values.
I have friends whose daughters are in MGS and they have only praises for the school. Apparently the girls enjoy school a lot and there are many enrichment activities (yes, you have to pay for them) which are not found in neighbourhood schools. They are not the super rich kind, live in HDB (maybe bigger flats), and their kids are definitely not the snobbish kind.
There is an added advantage that these schools have affiliation to the secondary school. So if the child is just average in PSLE, there is still a good chance for him / her to get into a relatively good secondary school. You probably need 250+ to get into MGS if you are not affiliated to it.
Just my opinions. -
[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]
i'm at a dilemna on which school to send my gal.
I live w/i 2km of MGS but i can be enrolled under old girls in KC.
Distance-wise, i can be at MGS w/i 10 mins drive whereas KC will take me approx 20 mins or more.
Results-wise, MGS has been known to generate top students whereas i can get her into KC w/o any stress for me eg.. volunteer work etc (i'm a working mum) or her.
I was told by many that MGS is attended by rich kids ? Just because of their address or its known to be as such ? Could it be a generalisation ? -
tinkerbell:
Tinkerbell,i'm at a dilemna on which school to send my gal.
I live w/i 2km of MGS but i can be enrolled under old girls in KC.
Distance-wise, i can be at MGS w/i 10 mins drive whereas KC will take me approx 20 mins or more.
Results-wise, MGS has been known to generate top students whereas i can get her into KC w/o any stress for me eg.. volunteer work etc (i'm a working mum) or her.
I was told by many that MGS is attended by rich kids ? Just because of their address or its known to be as such ? Could it be a generalisation ?
I have a post under schools in Bukit Timah. Like I was telling CKS, I am an old gal and can get in with no problem but am thinking of Pei Hwa because I do think that MGS is attended by rich kids and can be quite snooty. Of course, that is a generalisation and I am sure not all who go there are from rich families. But myself and my hubby are from ACS and MGS but we don't wee what's the big deal and how come parents are willing to spend tons of money to rent an apt near there just to get their kids in. -
hi kaitlynangelica,
no, i wouldn't go to such an extreme to move house to be near a school.
i just wanna enter her into a good school where she can perform under peer pressure as her character is as such. but lazy me didn't want to do volunteer work(am working) and didn;t wanna feel guilty depriving her of good teachers & study environment.
thanks for yr info cos i also did not want her to feel deprive of material things just cos her classmates hv it and neither do i want her to turn out to be a snooty gal :roll:
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