International Schools Play A Part Too In Growth

So much talk about rising rentals that expatriates are feeling the pain. Now, finding a vacancy in an international school is another headache for expatriates with school-going children.

This issue has been highlighted months ago (even in Hong Kong), with the government releasing some premises to convert to international schools; and become talk of the town again when 10 foreign families queued at Tanjong Katong Primary School (a local school which is popular with expatriates) a few days prior to registration, only to know that there was only 1 vacancy left.

Some multinational companies are thinking twice about deploying staff with school-going children to Singapore. As foreign talent and expatriate numbers rise, from 798,000 to 875,500 last year, 40 international schools here are facing a growing crunch. The wait can be as long as 2 years.

Global Indian International School (GIIS) is looking for a third campus. The expansion will make GIIS the largest international school here. Originally started for overseas Indian children, it is now popular with other expatriates that its 3,900-strong cohort is a mosaic of 24 nationalities.

The problem has caused some foreigners to turn down job offers, while others have put off relocating here until they find a school.

* CNA-Schools , CNA-TKPS Winner , New Canadian Int'l Sch , MOE *

*****
Residential crunch, followed by office crunch, then hotel crunch, and now school crunch ... ...

As a parent who has gone thru' balloting for a place in a school, this thing can be vy vy vy stressful especially if it is a first-come-first-served system.
While I do encourage these expatriates to allow their kids to attend local schools (then all schools become 'international' schools), I do hope tt MOE could conduct balloting at Phase 3 so tt these families do not hv to queue for so many days ... waste of time, resources and heighten stress level.

Another interesting thing to know on hotel shortage: Golf Clubs' Hotel Rm .