Primary 1 registration: 33 schools oversubscribed in Phase 2A

SINGAPORE: A total of 33 primary schools were oversubscribed in Phase 2A of the Primary 1 registration exercise, data from the Ministry of Education (MOE) showed on Thursday (Jul 14).

Applications under Phase 2A closed at 4.30pm last Friday and data on the number of applications per school was released on Thursday. 

This is the first year that the changes to the Primary 1 registration exercise have been rolled out. Phase 2A(1) and Phase 2A(2) are now combined into a single Phase 2A.

This year, 33 schools are oversubscribed in Phase 2A. Last year, 17 schools were oversubscribed after Phase 2A(2).

Use the map to find out which schools are oversubscribed and will conduct balloting:

Phase 2A is for children whose parent or sibling is a former student of the primary school, including those who joined as alumni. It is also for children whose parent is a staff member at the school, or a member of the school advisory or management committee.

Children who went to a MOE kindergarten under the purview of and located within the primary school can also apply under Phase 2A.

The most oversubscribed primary school in Phase 2A this year was Pei Hwa Presbyterian, with 112 applicants for 44 spots. Gongshang Primary School received 116 applications for 59 vacancies, while Rosyth received 113 applications for 73 spaces.

NO BALLOT FOR FIVE OVERSUBSCRIBED SCHOOLS

Not all oversubscribed schools will go to the ballot. No ballot will be conducted for Nan Hua, Singapore Chinese Girls', Wellington, Westwood and Yu Neng primary schools.

According to MOE's website, Nan Hua and Westood primary schools only have places for Singaporean children living within 2km of the school.

Singapore Chinese Girls' and Yu Neng primary schools only have places for Singaporean children, while Wellington Primary School only has places for all Singapore children and permanent resident children living within 1km of the school.

CHANGES TO REGISTRATION EXERCISE

Under the new changes to the Primary 1 registration exercise, 40 places will be reserved in Phase 2C in each primary school, up from 20 places previously.

Phase 2B will continue to have 20 spaces. That means 60 spaces have been set aside for the later phases of 2B and 2C.

Phase 2A(1) and 2A(2) were combined to ensure that all Phase 2A(2) applicants could continue to have a chance to register under Phase 2A, said MOE on its website. 

Last year, five schools no longer had spaces after Phase 2A (1).

“The increase in reserved places for Phase 2C will result in fewer places in earlier phases. If we continue to maintain the differentiation of priority between Phase 2A(1) and Phase 2A(2) registrants, we expect that several schools would end up with relatively few or even no places left for Phase 2A(2) registrants,” the website read. 

It would also better achieve the objective of providing priority admission for MOE kindergarten children, who were previously eligible only in Phase 2A(2), added MOE.

For schools that still have spaces after Phase 2A, one-third of the remaining vacancies will be allocated to Phase 2B and two-thirds to Phase 2C.

All children registering under Phase 1, which is for children who have a sibling in the school, are guaranteed a space. Phase 1 registration closed on Jun 30.

Registration under Phase 2B starts at 9am on Jul 19 and closes at 4.30pm on Jul 20.

The phase is open to children whose parent joined the primary school as a volunteer no later than Jul 1, and has given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school by Jun 30.

Children whose parent is a member endorsed by the church or clan directly connected to the primary school can also apply in Phase 2B, as can students whose parent is endorsed as an active community leader.