Modern Montesorri Internations (MMI) @ Sengkang - Worth it? You decide.

[plsrelax]

Hi Parents,

Just want to share with any parent who is considering to enroll their child into this center and hope that it serves as a useful reference when making their decision. It should also be to those parents who is wondering whether is it cost effective to send your child into MMI Sengkang.

Background: My child enrolled into their class for 1 year and since there are quite a few ups and downs during the stay there.

Positive Feedback
1) Condusive learning facilities with a large compound with multiple classrooms
2) Free swimming classes (although not every week due to weather and HFMD outbreaks)
3) English speaking environment with well mannered teachers and kids
4) Structured Programme (every school has that but how much its executed? we don't know.)

Negative Feedback
1) Ever changing teachers (most popular feedback) - This is the most serious issue among all the complaints. My child has to constantly adapt to new teachers and their style. The routines are broken and she has to re-learnt. My child's good habbits are not reinforce, bad habbits are not monitored. Learning hampered as there is a lack of continuity. Good teachers keep leaving, bad teachers keep staying or coming. In one year, she has around 5-7 teachers, i lost count.
2) Frequent HFMD outbreaks - Maybe because there are more students in the school as compare to a childcare center. Lucky my child did not contract it. There is one particular day when my child is the only student in the class. My child missed the HFMD, but frequently contract stomach flu. I know its usual for a child to contract this social disease but to contract it once every 2 weeks is in my opinion too frequent. Maybe my child is weak.
3) Montessori lessons not strongly emphasize. 1 to 2 hours a day but after trying to manage the students there is very little time left to demonstrate a Montessori activity to the child. Most of the time they just play with the materials after a quick demonstration. That's what my child says.
4) Apart from the expensive fees, everything is chargeable and at a rate I consider very high. I just spent more around $100 to pay for the costume which cannot be reuse, for the tickets and for the recorded video. They do not allow parents to bring video recorder into the concert. Where is the prudency? I really do not wish my child to grow up spending money on stuff that she does not need or for one time usage.
When the school brings them for an excursion, it will cost more than $10 each when there isn't any entrance fee required. They say its for lunch, but isn't that included in the fees? The school bus is $80/month when my child stays around 300m away.
4)  Did not enforce good eating habits. My child is picky but I feel that the teachers should continue to encourage the child and not just give up on them. Another example of the consequences of the frequent change of teachers. Also, the birthday parties are so regular such that my child is frequently snacking and giving up her staple meals. Nowadays I really hate children birthday parties. I think as a parent with child in a childcare center, we should be more sensitive in distributing snacks and goodies bag when celebrating their child birthdays. I know that we want them to enjoy themselves with a party but I always believe that without the cakes, sweets and snacks, there can still be a party. Its because we make birthday cakes a norm that the child has an expectation of it.

I sincerely hope that this really will be an useful information for you and your child when selecting a childcare center which is so important to the child progress.

[fattybombombom]

I strongly agree to the NO JUNK in party pack.
Coz i would HATE to see my son snacking on chocolates and sweets.

this is what i have done:
http://babyhiroshi.blogspot.com/2007/11/happy-birthday-hiroshi.html

every thing is home made and home packed for goodness sake!

[Alaska]

not for my son's case in MMI Sengkang.

He has shown a tremendous improvement studying there compared to previous cheap academic-oriented childcare. For my case, $706/pm is considered reasonable compared to $1100/pm in Eton House for 3 hrs programme which is not a montessori-based.

My son's 2 form teachers never changed at all since Jan-Dec.

What make you say that they change teachers? Those are teachers under training. Can't accept training teachers? Come on, we have to start from the beginning.

HFMD? very common, every where the same.

Birthday party? can't accept their goodie bags, throw away lor. My son will bring home those goodie bags without eating them in school, this is because I advise him not to open the goodie bag in school.

Excursion? don't want to pay $10, then put your child at home. It is an option not a compulsory.

you want 2-3 hrs of montessori for a day? a child below 6 yrs old has 2-3 hrs full concentration skill?

Chargeable fees? everywhere is also the same. Even in the hospital, press the bell for a nurse to come in is $5/ring.

The real education begins from the parents and home. Not school or teachers.

Can't afford the high fees? why start blaming the school? must as well go for cheap childcare below the void deck.

[Alaska]

The problem doesn't lie in school. The problem lies in the upbringing of the child, the parents.

Picky child is all educated from home.

Before enrolling, the fees are written on the parent's information booklet. Parents should know their finance affordability for at least 5 years.

Half-way sending the child to MMI, start complaining the fee is too expensive. Start blaming the teachers, the schools, etc. Why not blame yourself for your own bad upbringing of yr child.