Primary 1 registration: Nearly half of all primary schools in Singapore oversubscribed in Phase 2C

SINGAPORE: Nearly half of all primary schools in Singapore are oversubscribed in Phase 2C, with most of them set to conduct balloting, according to data from the Ministry of Education on Friday (Aug 5).

Phase 2C is considered the most competitive phase and is open to all children with no prior connection to their school of choice.

Registration for Phase 2C opened at 9am on Jul 27 and closed at 4.30pm on Jul 29, with the data on the oversubscribed schools released on Friday evening.

Of the 181 primary schools in Singapore, 88 received more applications than they had spaces, the data showed.

Princess Elizabeth Primary School in Bukit Batok was the most oversubscribed school in this phase, receiving five times as many applicants as they had vacancies.

Use the interactive map below to find out which school will conduct balloting:

Under changes to the Primary 1 registration exercise this year, every primary school must reserve 40 spaces for Phase 2C, up from 20 places previously.

Princess Elizabeth Primary School received 278 applications for 55 vacancies, while Nan Hua had 191 applicants for 40 spaces.

Northland Primary School received 199 applications for 42 vacancies, while South View Primary School had 177 applicants for the mandatory 40 spaces.

BALLOTING

Of the 88 oversubscribed schools, 83 will conduct balloting.

Anderson Primary, St Joseph’s Institution, Fengshan Primary, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian, Qifa Primary and Sembawang Primary schools will conduct balloting for Singaporean children living between 1km and 2km of the school.

Tanjong Katong, White Sands, St Margaret’s and CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity primary schools will conduct balloting for Singaporean children living outside 2km of the school.

For applicants to Punggol View, Naval Base, Lakeside and Innova primary schools, balloting will be conducted for permanent resident children living within 1km of the school.

Geylang Methodist School will carry out balloting for permanent resident children living outside 2km of the school.

With exception of those 15 schools, the other oversubscribed schools will conduct balloting only for Singaporean children living within 1km of the school.

Two schools that are not oversubscribed will also conduct balloting. Opera Estate Primary School and Bukit Timah Primary School both have caps on the number of permanent resident children they can take.

That means for these two schools, all Singaporean children are admitted. Balloting will be conducted for permanent resident children living outside 2km of the school.

In total, 85 primary schools will conduct balloting in this phase. 

The results in this phase will be released on Aug 10.

NO BALLOTING FOR 5 OVERSUBSCRIBED SCHOOLS

Five of the oversubscribed schools will not conduct balloting. 

St Anthony’s Primary School, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’, as well as Alexandra Primary School only have spaces for Singaporean children living within 1km of the school

Jurong West Primary School only has spaces for Singaporean children, while Ngee Ann Primary School will have spaces for all Singaporean children and permanent resident children living within 2km of the school.

CHANGES TO REGISTRATION EXERCISE

Apart from doubling the number of places reserved in Phase 2C in each primary school, other changes in this year's registration exercise include merging Phase 2A(1) and Phase 2A(2).

The increase in the number of reserved places in 2C meant Phases 2A and 2B were more competitive this year.

One-third of the remaining vacancies at the end of Phase 2A were allocated to Phase 2B, and two-thirds were allocated to Phase 2C.

The changes to the Primary 1 registration framework are aimed at helping more children obtain a place in a school near their home in Phase 2C, said MOE on its website.