Turning 5 Yrs Old

Dear SG,

Do you still remember the day we turn 5? Oh well, turning 5 isn’t that special in Singapore but it sure is different here. The 5^th birthday is the day a child goes to a Primary School and starts their first term in Year Zero. Year Zero is like an adaptation period before they are prompted to Year 1 and they will stay in that Primary school until Year 6. My nephew, Eugene just turns 5 a few days ago. He spends his birthday in Kindergarten and the following day in Baverstock Oaks School. He could have spent his birthday as his first day of school in Baverstock but he prefers to have it at Kindy where all his friends are.

Eugene and his birthday cake. Poor boy was running a slight fever that day.

The next day: 1st day of school with his fresh new school uniform.

To help Eugene familiarize with his classroom and teacher, he went for a school visit last friday and spent 2 hours in the classroom attending a lesson. From now on, he will spend a full day in school from 9am to 3pm. :) I think I prefer to go to school when I am only 7 years old. hee...

with love from NZ,
J

Spot the differences:

NZ children goes to Primary school as soon as they turn 5 years old.

SG children goes to Primary school in January on the year when they will turn 7 years old.

A Kiwi classroom will have only one or two students who just started school. It makes it easier for the teacher to handle the new kids.

A Merlion classroom will be filled with terrify students who are all starting school for the first time. I wonder how the teachers handle it.

NZ students have a full day in school

SG students either has a morning session, afternoon session or for some schools a full day.

Age	New Zealand	Singapore
5	Year 0 (Primary)	Kindy
6	Year 1 (Primary)	Kindy
7	Year 2 (Primary)	Primary 1
8	Year 3 (Primary)	Primary 2
9	Year 4 (Primary)	Primary 3
10	Year 5 (Primary)	Primary 4
11	Year 6 (Primary)	Primary 5
12	Year 7 (Intermediate)	Primary 6
13	Year 8 (Intermediate)	Secondary 1
14	Year 9 (Secondary/high school/colleges)	Secondary 2
15	Year 10 (Secondary/high school/colleges)	Secondary 3
16	Year 11 (Secondary/high school/colleges)	Secondary 4
17	Year 12 (Secondary/high school/colleges)	Junior College Year 1
18	Year 13 (Secondary/high school/colleges)	Junior College Year 2

The kiwi kids might finish Year 13 around 17 or 18 years of age. This will depend on the school's cut off date for starting Year 1. In Eugene’s case, all children born before May have been prompted to Year 1. Since he just started, he will stay in Year 0 for a while.