Part 4

From scanning the moe website to scanning the property listings in the classifieds, primary one registration brings on a unique high. I was only going slightly mad.

The thought process went along like this:

So we sell our dream home in Joo Chiat, move into premises one third the size of our present house and sell all our worldly possessions.

The property agent echoed our thoughts.

“This is for your child’s future. You buy first. Rent for two years. You need to show proof of 2 years of ownership. Then you use the address just for the school admission. Don’t get emotionally attached to the house. Remember it is for the higher purpose. After you buy, you offer to volunteer your services to the school. Start attending the Methodist church attached to the school. ”

If you are going to start trying, you might as well go all the way. I wondered what skill sets I could offer as a parent volunteer in the school. Gardening? Grass weeding? Traffic warden?

Part 3

You realise that thinking about your old school relives a childhood narrative which you tried so hard to forget.

You realise that as much as you hated certain aspects of your old school, you are irresistibly drawn into the idea of of seeing your daughter in the same school uniform you spent 10 years in.

You realise that moving within a one kilometre proximity of the school greatly enhances your chances of entry.

So you do what you have to do.

We started home hunting in the school district of Dunearn Road.

Part 2

Like a demon possessed, I started scanning the MOE website for details on Primary One registration. Never mind that Shane is three years away from primary one registration, I heard that spaces were scarce in good schools and you had to start obtaining certain credits.

What is a good school? I reflected on my educational experience in a so-called elite all girls’ school. Personally, I felt like a social misfit in that school. I was very weak in maths and instead of receiving additional tutoring, the teachers pitied me and attributed my academic weakness to a crumbling family situation.

They asked me tragic leading questions which led to the inevitable conclusion that yes, my life was tragedy.

Teacher: Who looks after you?
Me: I look after myself.
Teacher: Who supervises your work?
Me: No one.
Teacher: Should I speak to your parents?
Me: [Silence]
Teacher: I want to speak to them both.
Me: But you only need to see one of them.
Teacher: I need to see them both separately because your parents are divorced.

I was weak in maths. That was normal. What I didn’t expect was to be treated abnormally.

Part 1

Between here and the last time I posted, I became possessed by a spirit.

This demon came upon me quite unsuspectingly. It all started when Gary wanted to take a look at his old school – St. Andrew’s. We drove down on a rainy day and he guided me up to his old school building.

“This was where we sang the national anthem. When the boys graduated from primary school we would line up in a row and run across the field to the secondary school. That was the only time we were allowed to run on the field. The secondary school boys would cheer as we ran across…”

There was a lot of pride in his voice.

“You know, we really should start thinking of where we are going to send Shane and Alix for primary school.”

And as soon as he said those words, that demon spirit possessed me. PRIMARY ONE REGISTRATION.

To be continued.