New international school to open in August

A new international school will open its doors in August this year.

Costing some S$300 million, the school has been described as the most advanced learning environment ever built.

Students at Stamford American International School located at Upper Serangoon Road will be able to enjoy an interactive school environment where teachers can conduct lessons about faraway places like ancient Egypt from the base of the country’s most prominent icon, the Great Pyramid.

There will be “one-to-one” iPad programmes for students as young as six years old while older students will get their own MacBooks.

A virtual lecture hall will also allow them to interact with teachers from around the world.

The company behind the school said the number of international school students here has grown from 32,000 to 40,000 over the past four years, similar to markets like Hong Kong.

The only difference is that most of the students in Singapore are not local.

Sixty-five per cent of international school students in Hong Kong are local, while in Singapore, locals are generally not admitted into international schools.

Brian Rogove, CEO (Asia Pacific) of Cognita, said: “Singapore and Hong Kong are fundamentally different markets. Fundamental demand that is driven in Singapore is actually driven by expatriates, not by local demands, and that is a fundamental strong selling point for Singapore, it shows how strong Singapore is a hub for attracting foreign talent.”

The new facility will accommodate 2,500 students aged between two and 18.

The Cognita Group – one of the world’s largest K-12 education providers – currently runs over 58 schools across the United Kingdom, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Source – CNA – 18 May 2012