Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ramblings - Search for Nursery

The past 2 weeks has been nerve racking for me. Applications for nursery must be launch between Sep - Nov and each school have their own cut off date. I've been busy calling up schools, arranging visits and keeping a diary of which school releases application on what dates and when is their cut off date. Then you have to make sure you get the application forms in time (some schools actually release a quota of application form and some parents go queue overnite just to get the application form. I for one am not going to apply for schools who run their operations like a property business.) and submit them before the dateline.

After submitting application, you will then have to wait to be called up for the entrance interview. Being clueless about what goes on in these interview, I bought a local guide book as a reference. Some of these elite school must be crazy. Here's a sample of questions asked :
  • Look at a picture and count mentally (using fingers and counting aloud is not allowed) how many items are in the picture
  • Look at a series of picture, organize them in the proper sequence (before and after, eg, morning, noon, night) and tell a short story about the picture.

Bear in mind that these kids are barely 2 yrs old when they go for these interviews. If my child can do all these at 24 mths, I think I need not send her to their school but to NASA perhaps.

Although I would also like to be able to get T into a good school, but I am extremely reluctant to drill into her the ABCs and 123s at such a young age. Also, I do not wish that I myself get too distracted by all these popularity contest and forget what kind of upbringing I want for my child. If she does well during the interviews, good for her. If she doesn't, so be it. Just let her perform as she naturally would, no need to force entry, as I am not prepared to drill her with homework for the next 4 yrs just to make sure she keeps up to the expectation of such elite school.

So finally, I have shortlisted a few catholic schools who teaches in english and mandarin to try to enrol. I secretly hope she is able to get into the single one that includes the Montessori approach as part of their teaching, as that means less homework for her and mummy too.