How To Choose The Best Primary School For Your Kid

Many Singapore parents still prefer popular elite schools, but there are more important factors you should consider before Primary 1 registration fever hits. Eveline Gan runs you through the checklist.

- Eveline Gan

Despite the Ministry of Education’s stand that “every school is a good school”, Phyllis Ramasamy, 35, admits she was one of those parents who checked out unofficial primary school rankings online.

Determined to give her firstborn the best start in education, the mum-of-three started Googling for “best” primary schools in the West – where she lives – during his first year in kindergarten.

She considered volunteering at the most popular primary school that came up during her online search. The schools were ranked based on awards they have received.

“I eventually decided against volunteering due to time constraints. The school was also too far away – more than 3km – from my home and the admin staffsaid it is not promised that my son would eventually get in even if I became a parent volunteer,” says Phyllis, a preschool teacher.

Some parents however, are undeterred by distance. Phyllis shares that some of her friends even moved house to be nearer to brand-name schools to increase the chances of their child being accepted there.

“Of course, I’d like my kids to be in one of those brand name schools. But distance matters too, which was why I looked at neighbourhood schools near my home. Even so, I feel that the quality of neighbourhood schools matter,” she says.

So, how do you pick a primary school for your kid? Here, we get the Ministry of Education (MOE), education experts and parents to weigh in.

It’s not about good vs bad schools

First things first, know that there isn’t such a thing as a “bad” school. All primary schools are equipped with suitable facilities and well-trained teachers such as a variety of programmes that develop students’ confidence, curiosity and collaborative spirit, says an MOE spokesperson.