As more and more Chinese children are coming to study in Singapore, a special community of women known as “guardian mothers” has emerged here. Singapore no doubt presents unique advantages as a choice for Chinese students keen on studying overseas. Singapore boasts a sound legal system, beautiful environment, an orderly social security and a. bilingual policy. It is a Chinese-dominated country and you can easily adapt yourself to the life here. Moreover, mothers are permitted to keep their children company while they are studying here. However, the truth is that Singapore is far from an ideal place for education than was supposed.
Most Chinese students who wish to study in Singapore turn to the recruitment agencies in China set up by Singapore companies to make the arrangements. These agencies will make all sorts of promises to the parents. But once arriving in Singapore, most accompanist mothers find that they can barely support their lives because of living, studying costs and work permits. Let’s think: if the agencies could provide fair and objective information on the school system and the situation of living in Singapore, these children and their mothers would make sensible choices after weighing the pros and cons based on their own financial status.
What is more, most guardian mothers do not feel at home here. Singaporeans always seem to be on guard against them. They can only feel lonely and helpless and are unable to become part of the local community.
It takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to bring up a generation of good men. Education is a long-term process. Short-term measures will not keep foreigners to stay here, let alone those talents.