When I was growing up in Singapore in the 1990s, it was virtually unheard of for expats to consider enrolling their children in local schools. Foreigners would typically go to the island city-state’s elite international schools, where an education could run well into the high six figures.

But much has changed in the past three decades. Now more expats are choosing a local school education, braving long waiting lists and competing for the few spots that aren’t reserved for Singaporean citizens and permanent residents. Singaporeans are prohibited from attending international schools without acquiring express consent from the government.

A Facebook group for expat parents with kids in local schools has grown to over 1750 members in under two years, according to its founder Judy Shei. The American started the group after arriving in Singapore only to find that most expat parent forums focused on international schools.

Why the expat aversion to local schools in the first place? Singaporean schools are notoriously demanding, with little-to-no focus on arts or humanities. Children of expats do not benefit from sibling priority, so siblings often end up in different schools. There’s also the segregation of children by academic performance in a rigorous set of exams around age 12 – the dreaded Primary School Leaving Examinations (PLSE.) Of late, this rigor is exactly what some expats are loving.

Lisa Jelinek’s two sons have gone to local schools since their move from Australia in 2009. “The local curriculum will definitely be an asset, the depth of knowledge they are gaining in the math and sciences will always be useful and translatable to anything that they want to do in the future in any country,” she says.