About Singapore
A sunny, tropical island in Southeast Asia, Singapore is a state, a city, a nation. Do you know it is called a “City in a Garden” where 50% of the island is covered with greenery? Inhabited by five million people, Singapore is about 275 square miles. It is a vibrant metropolis offering a fully integrated island-wide transport network, a world-class infrastructure, and a dynamic business environment. Singapore is an attraction due to infrastructure, governance system, and transportation. Before jumping into the school fees, let’s see how the education system in Singapore is.
Education System in Singapore
The education system of Singapore includes six years of primary education followed by four to six years of secondary school followed by one to three years of postsecondary school. Singapore has some of the best private schools and choosing one school out of many is dependent on many factors. One major factor that may affect your choice is the school fees in Singapore. So let’s look at the fee structure of schools in Singapore
The following are the School fees in Singapore :
There are two types of schools – public schools and private schools. A lot of private schools are international schools. The exact school fees in Singapore vary from one school to another. It depends on the type of school you choose and also on the level (nursery, primary, secondary or postsecondary) in which your child needs admission. But let me give you the information about the approximate fees that you need to pay to get your child’s admission.
- Term fees– A private school can cost you as high as $47,000 a year and an affordable school could cost you $1,600. Generally, kindergarten schools might cost the local citizens $160/month and $320/month. For Singaporeans, primary education is free but it costs 205/month. For permanent residents the fee is $440/month for international students from ASEAN countries and $700/month for other international students. Fees of private schools tend to be higher than public schools but the private schools in Singapore can provide you a lot of added advantages.
When you pay fees, you pay a significant amount so you should also be aware of the things you are paying for. A term fee usually includes fees for Tuition fee, building development fee, School event fee, activity fee, student welfare fee, technology fee, and resource fee.
- Additional fees
Apart from the usual fees that need to be paid after every three months every year, there are some additional charges like the cost of books, uniforms, and transportation. Keep a note of these fees while calculating the estimated fees.
- Registration fees – There is a one-time payable registration for each school that you need to pay when you apply for admission. It is usually non refundable.
- Late fees– Every school charges an additional fee if you miss the deadline of fee payment. So take a glance at that too.
As a parent, you would like to get your child’s admission to the best school. Don’t let the fees hinder your goal of a bright future for your child. So now I am going to tell you how you can afford even “not so affordable schools”.
The following are the Tips to get admission to private schools in Singapore :
- Be ahead of timelines- This is the number one tip that can’t be emphasized enough. When you plan to get your child’s admission in school, plan the entire process at least one year ahead. Sounds weird? Let me tell you it is the bare minimum timeframe if you want to get your child’s admission in one of the best schools in Singapore. Now let me give you a gist of how you can plan your timelines.
- Record book– Keep a separate record book in which you can add all the information about the school admission. It will enable you to refer back whenever required and thus will save a lot of time.
- Make a list of deadlines for each school– While doing the research part of school admission, go through the deadlines of each school.
- Time management and Prioritizing– This is one tip you must have read most of the time. Prioritize according to the deadlines. You will also have other priorities other than your child’s admission, so spend at least 30 minutes daily instead of putting in more hours at once in the last few days leading to the admission
- Thorough research- You have to sit in front of a computer/laptop screen for a long period to complete thorough research. It requires a lot of patience. Because if you compromise your research, it can have a major impact on your choice. Whenever you do your research, don’t forget to check the official website of the school to which you are going to apply. Now let’s discuss what you need to research to find the best school that might seem unaffordable however you can manage to afford it with these tips.
- Scholarships provided by the school– Scholarship is an excellent way to get your child’s admission to the school of your choice even if it charges a hefty amount. Your child can get a scholarship based on his performance in academics. Some schools even provide scholarships based on excellence in sports or other extracurricular activities. The key here is to do research. The more you google, the more beneficial it will prove to be. Read the eligibility criteria, terms, and conditions thoroughly so that you don’t commit a silly mistake.
- Scholarships provided by Government – Government provides scholarships to meritorious students. You can apply to all those scholarships to which your child is eligible. Don’t miss even a single scholarship. You never know which one might click
- Sibling discount– Certain schools provide discounts if another child of yours is studying in that school. So if you want to get your younger child’s admission, do check the guidelines of the elder child’s school. You can readily go to that school if it seems satisfactory.
- Savings- Saving money can be a tedious task but you can choose some smart ways to save for your child’s school fees. These tips will not only help you save bucks for your child but would also make you smart in terms of managing money. So some tips are-
- Save in advance– As you will start the process a year ago that means you are already one step ahead. So start saving a small amount every month as per the monthly saving goals. Save the next year’s fees in advance so that you have an ample amount of time to pay the fees.
- Invest money– Make tiny investments such as Systematic Investment Plans ( SIP) in which you can choose to deposit a very small amount of money and at the end of a year, three years, and five years it will be a significant amount.
- Tiny amounts add up– Save every single penny that your child gets on his birthdays and festivals. You can do this very easily when your child is very small because he is not going to demand that money at that age. A small amount to become a significant amount.
Conclusion
It is sometimes very confusing and tiring to complete the admission process. But it’s important to remember that all these efforts are made to secure your child’s future so it is worth every single effort. But please don’t exhaust yourself in the process. Plan in advance so that last-minute hassles and stress can be easily avoided. Be patient and be consistent during the process and assure your child’s position in the best private school.
