Guide to Sending Your Child to an International School in Singapore

If you are a parent and are planning to send your kid to school in the near future, there are certain things that you need to know as to which type of school would best fit your child’s learning needs. Expensive doesn’t always cut it, particularly in countries where the government allots a substantial amount of funding for public education such as Singapore.  However, if you are looking at other types of schools with a more progressive and global approach then you might want to look into International Schools (IS).

But sending your child to this type of school, if unplanned, can be a major outlay especially for parents who are not able to cover the costs of their children’s education. So, that being said let us take a look at some of the things to consider before sending your child to an IS:

international school singapore

Things to Consider when Sending Your Child to an IS:

First Things First:

  • Enrolment Fee – Before your kids could get in to the school, you will need to submit an application form which usually comes with a fee prior enrolment. Some schools provide partial or full refund should a candidate decide to withdraw from his/her slot.
  • Registration Fee – Once the application has been accepted, some schools would require a registration fee upon confirmation of the candidate’s slot.
  • Development Contribution Charges – Majority of schools include development fees for future improvements of the institution’s facilities and buildings.

Tuition Fees:

A kindergartener’s tuition fee for one school year ranges between $20,000 and $30,000. On the other hand, annual tuition fees for Year 12 sit at $28,000 up to $42,000. Payment schemes maybe on a monthly, biannual (semester) or term basis.

Technology Fees:

As in most technology-based institutions, students can now either bring their own tablet or laptop to class, or pay to use these learning gadgets based on the school’s IT scheme.

Clothing and Uniform Fees:

This typically ranges between $100 up to $500 per student.

Food/Lunch Expenses:

While this is not mandatory in most schools, others would offer student lunch meals for around $4 per day or roughly $800 a month.

School bus Fees:

Costs basically depend on your distance from the school, but it’s safe to allot approximately $1000 per school year for your kid’s travel budget.

School trips and excursion fees:

Younger students typically have day tours in nearby zoos or Science museums whereas older students may be given the chance to fly out of the country to visit neighbouring places such as Thailand and Nepal. For these activities, schools may charge between a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars.

Textbooks and Other Learning Materials:

While some schools include textbook fees in their tuition costs, others may require their students to purchase additional resources which could reach up to $500 per school year.

Examination Fees:

For both IGCSE and IB diploma candidates, examination fees range between $150 and $2,500.

Extra-curricular fees:

Most schools offer extracurricular activities for free, but others may charge up to $300 per activity.

 

Sending your child to an International School certainly has its own merits because young as they are, they become exposed to a variety of cultures and develop skills that are geared on a more global scale of learning. However, careful financial planning is necessary before you send your child to an IS to ensure that your child’s education will be well-covered according to your own means.