Finding the right school for your child is usually a challenge for some parents.
For Joshua, it was pretty easy. Why? Because I’ve had experience as a preschool educator before and had just returned to teaching when he was about 18 months old. Plus, I actually embraced the school’s pedagogy, its curriculum and the teachers. So, when Joshua was 2 years old, I enrolled him in the Toddlers half-day program for a start, which later turned to full-day when he was in N1.
With Kaitlyn, things were different. It wasn’t as smooth sailing as it was with Joshua.
I had returned to the creative industry and thus had no ties with any childcare/preschool. I tried contacting Joshua’s old preschool to check enrolment, but they took months to respond. Even after I contacted the principal, I did not get a follow-up. It seemed like they weren’t interested at all, so I took it as a sign that I should explore other options. This was something exciting as it would be the first time I actually went for open houses and school tours as a parent, and get to ask all the questions etc. I had a buffet of schools to explore!
I started looking at schools only after the adoption order was granted, and while waiting for Kaitlyn’s citizenship approval. Despite the excitement of being able to check out different schools, the truth of the matter was that enrolment was full for children born in her year. Most parents had reserved places for their child as early as a few months old, or even before the child was born. There I was with a 14-month-old baby who wasn’t even a Singapore citizen yet so I was at a disadvantage.
And it was all because she wasn’t a Singaporean by birth.
Schools near my home and within my budget were fully enrolled, and I was placed on waiting lists. There were schools with vacancies but waaaaay above what a single mother could afford, even after subsidies. Not to mention, MSF childcare subsidies applied only to children who are Singapore citizens.
I was faced with 2 issues:
- How do I enroll in a school without her citizenship?
- How long would it take before she got a place in schools that I could afford, given the long waiting list?
I was frustrated and extremely worried, and the *kiasu part of me started to panic. What if I couldn’t find a place for Kaitlyn in a preschool at all? I wasn’t intending to actually send her in right away, more like when she turned 2 years old. I just wanted to ensure she had a spot in one that’s all. Plus I wanted her to attend a school that was reputable, with a pedagogy I approved of, and had passionate teachers.
Not that I’m being fussy, but with my own experience as a preschool educator, I knew what I was looking for, and the kind of education I wanted my child to receive. After all, it is important for a child to have a good educational foundation, and it’s detrimental to any child if she attends a school with a weak curriculum structure and apathetic teachers.
I’ve worked in a childcare where a teacher used physical force on children under her care, dragging them by their arms, forcefully sitting them down on the floor, and smacking their hands. I promptly left that centre after 3 months when nothing was done despite reporting it.
Anyway, I had to consider other areas — near my parents’ place, and those around my office. Finally, I found a preschool that had a place for Kaitlyn, and was willing to register her as if she’s already a Singaporean, and charging me the fees accordingly. All I had to do was send them a copy of her citizenship certificate once it was approved. I was so grateful 🙂
All was signed and settled, and Kaitlyn finally had a preschool to attend once she turned 2. I was so relieved!
For parents who adopted or are thinking of adopting, I would advise them to start looking around for schools as early as possible. Of course, for those where money isn’t an issue, they can place their child in the elite private preschools with no worries.
I only wished I had known how hard it was to get a place at the government childcares, especially in the area I lived at where the population’s booming.
Hoping this article will help other adoptive parents be aware of such a situation, and that they will have no issues when enrolling their child in a preschool.
Note: Although I had originally wanted Kaitlyn to start school only after she turned 2, I had to move up her commencement date due to circumstances, which I can’t reveal at the moment. I will share more at a later date when it’s no longer a sensitive issue. Read about it here!
Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society.
Maria Montessori
*kiasu: scared to lose out
