Just ask - Any different between local and international schools in Singapore

Hi Bruce nice to hear that you relocating your family from Philippine to Singapore. I guess a decision regarding child’s education is an important decision for all parents. Expatriates in Singapore are presented with a choice of local vs international schools. Knowing the general merits and demerits of the local and international schools is crucial in order to determine the right school environment. This report is an attempt to help expats working in Singapore pick the right type of school for their child.

In Singapore what I had gather is that the teaching policies at international schools emphasize individual needs of students and are not exam focused. The international schools attempt to foster critical and independent thinking in Children. Children at international schools have opportunity to make friendships that transcend culture and develop a global perspective in a school with no dominant racial, national or religious identity. Students come from a better financial background and their parents are generally well educated and successful.

Most International schools in Singapore use English as the mainstream language. Singapore local schools serving the local students follow the national policies, academic calendar and a local curriculum. Local schools emphasize on exams and grades which are complained to be mere tests of memory rather than knowledge. Local schools provide the best opportunity to learn the local culture and language and adapt to the local society. International schools and local schools in Singapore do have certain distinct features.

When compared to local schools, international schools have smaller class sizes, therefore enabling a better student-teacher ratio, which in turn ensures individual attention to the students’ developmental needs. The smaller class sizes also means a better access to facilities. The Local schools have larger class sizes and the campus is sometimes cramped, facilities have to be shared among the large pool. In general, poor student–teacher ratio affects the relationship between the students and teachers. Often the students at the local schools have to fend for themselves, the teachers also have to tackle the challenge of handling an over sized class thus resulting in undue stress that affects their productivity.
Heterogeneous Class

International schools being open to all nationalities admit students from different linguistic background. Second language students at the international schools come from various educational backgrounds. The students are not necessarily from the higher end of the aptitude scale but are generally placed in the same class rooms. The teachers have to strike a balance in their teaching style so as to enable a progressive learning environment for all students. High performing students when placed along with average students may find the teaching system to be lagging, or may start feeling overconfident and eventually slide down the performance scale. On the other hand, the second language students and students with learning disabilities in spite of receiving special attention and assistance may feel pressurized amidst high performing students. Many international schools in Singapore split students into separate groups based on their language skills in order to address this issue. Singapore Local schools take in students of similar aptitude because admissions are based on merit, so students of matching abilities are grouped in a school. This enables the schools to implement special teaching techniques aimed at improving the child’s performance. Devoid of the pressure of high performing peers, the under-performing students often scale up their performance. At the same time higher aptitude students are given the opportunity to aspire for higher goals by setting competitive benchmarks.
Relocation Woes

International schools being a haven for the often relocating families, the students have to cope with loosing friends. The international schools make an earnest attempt to offer a welcoming and supportive environment to students, yet due to relocation, permanent friendships do not last. The emotional toll caused by loosing friends is rather huge. Often it is not limited to loosing friends but also at times, they may have to cope with parting a favorite teacher, because the teachers are generally from overseas or spouses of professionals who often relocate. Some students may react to such a situation in an adverse manner and may display extreme anxiety or become aggressive which eventually affect their education. The local schools do not pose this problem, the teachers are permanent staff and the students get to keep company of their friends for a longer period. Yet it has to be noted that the Singapore local schools cater to the local students and often arrangements to assuage the woes of the relocated students may be inadequate or totally absent. The relocating families being well educated must pitch in to support their children to smoothly sail through the new environment.

The international schools attract students from diverse culture and it is not unusual to see that some schools have a higher proportion of particular nationality of students. The child has to adjust and grapple with the differences amidst students from assorted cultural background. Such a situation also grooms tolerance, respect and understanding towards other cultures, a trait that is increasingly becoming essential in a globalized environment. It has to be noted that problems of racism and bullying by dominant groups are strictly dealt with by both local and international schools in Singapore. Local schools also pose the problem of culture shock yet the amplitude of the challenge is magnified by the fact that, there would be a cultural monopoly. A child devoid of any friend from an identical background will have poor social life. Yet it has been observed that, with passage of time, adaptive kids often make very good friends and feel at home in Singapore local schools. They also familiarize themselves with the local Asian culture, which prove lucrative for them in their career since the Asian economies have started playing a dominant role across all industries.

Another area is the cost factor because the fee is the most distinctive difference between the local and international schools. The international schools charge exorbitant fees. Parents who have the privilege of comprehensive relocation package may not feel the pinch, while the parents who pay out of their pockets, tend to be anxious of the results and performance of their kids. This will result in undue pressure on the child and may also affect their performance. The local schools charge higher fees for the foreign students however it is far more competitive than those charged by the international schools in Singapore.

Children of frequently relocating families will find it easier if enrolled in branded international schools because, they often have overseas branches which, readily admit these students in case of yet another relocation. Such schools also provide a curriculum matching a standard international system thus ensuring adaptability in case of change to a new school. Singapore local schools follow the national educational policies and a local curriculum. The local curriculum might be less relevant in other countries where the family may relocate thus restraining the mobility however, it has to be noted that standard IB programmes are now offered at select local schools.
International schools sport an atypical informal atmosphere, fostering a friendly relationship between students and teachers while the local schools adorn a formal atmosphere. Many Asian expatriates find the informal environment in the international schools a little alien to their culture, but gradually warm up to the atmosphere, while the western expatriate children will feel a similar initial discomfort when put in a local school. The international schools are not exam oriented and encourage self learning and research geared towards nurturing critical and independent thinking while building the strength of character. The local schools are more focused on exams and assessments and give lots of homework but efforts are now being taken to shift away from this approach. This is being done without compromising on the strength of the fundamental education. In Singapore's international schools, the students come from affluent families, so there is not much of diversity in terms of status. So children tend to grow up without an understanding of the social disparities and at times may tend to become inconsiderate. To counter this issue, schools attempt to enlighten their students through community services and social education. Children from all walks of life come together in local schools thus they get to know the social nuances and also learn to appreciate and adapt to reality. Children of minority nationalities tend to imitate the culture of the dominant nationalities in international schools and it is the case in local schools as well. This may cause dispute between children and their parents who tend to preserve their cultural identity. The demands of children to keep up to their peers may cause dissension in the family.


International schools often have teachers and educational psychologists who are there to support those with learning / emotional / physical disabilities. This support system is helpful to the non mainstream students and their teachers. The local schools do not provide adequate support system and special education for such students.

The merits and demerits of schools being on one side, the personal family situation, the child’s aptitude & adaptability and the family’s financial resilience could play the deciding role in determine whether to send your child to a Singapore local vs international school.