Navigating Singapore’s education system as an immigrant parent

This paper examines the challenges faced by immigrant parents in navigating and shaping their children’s education in Singapore. It explores how the parents’ migrant backgrounds influence their actions, reactions, and coping strategies within the Singaporean education system, identifying patterns of behaviour specific to this group. The study reveals several challenges unique to immigrant parents, such as a lack of information about the local education system, disadvantages in the school admission process, and difficulties in providing adequate academic support to their children. Besides these challenges, the paper also highlights the resourcefulness of immigrant parents and the strategies they employ to navigate and mitigate these difficulties within an unfamiliar social and educational environment. By shedding light on the experiences of immigrant parents, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the diverse ways in which families adapt to and engage with the educational landscape in Singapore.