Why I Didn't Send My Children to My Brand-Name Primary School

Among other reasons, enrolling them in my alma mater, which is more than an hour away by public transport, would mean less time for them to read, play and rest

- Jane Ng

Some friends are surprised that I chose not to send my daughters to my alma mater, a brand-name girls' school that has an affiliated secondary school offering the integrated programme.

"There are parents moving house just to get their girls in. Why didn't you send them there?" asked one.

"You should think long-term. PSLE will be less stressful," advised another.

While I love my school and agree with my friends to a certain extent, ultimately, I decided otherwise.

My husband and I chose to send our eldest child, a boy, now 19, to a nearby school.

We picked one that was three bus stops away, known for not giving too much homework, as I prefer my children to have more free time to play, read or rest.

When it came to my elder daughter's turn to register for Primary 1, we had a choice of my alma mater — which was more than an hour away by public transport — or her brother's school.

Based on the rules then, my daughter, now 16, stood a chance at the popular primary school I attended, even though we live outside the 2km radius.

Ultimately, distance won out. We picked her brother's school so that she would not have to wake up at 5.30am to wait for a school bus to pick her before 6am.

HOW IMPORTANT IS A SCHOOL'S REPUTATION?

There are parents who view primary school registration as a high-stakes exercise, going all out to ensure their child gets into a branded school.

Some go as far as to lie about their home address. This is because when there is more demand than places in a school, priority is given first to Singapore citizens living within 1km of the school, then those between 1 and 2km and, lastly, those outside 2km.

In June, a parent was charged with giving a false address to enrol her daughter in a primary school.