Choosing and Evaluating Primary Schools

[chenlaoshi]

Primary 1 registration: Can we stop parents from gaming the system? | Deep Dive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH_5gWRhkhY

A mother was recently sentenced to jail for faking her home address to get her child into a primary school, raising the question - just how far will parents go to secure a spot in their school of choice and how can we tighten the process?

Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack the pressures some parents face with Primary 1 registration with Junda Ong, founder of SG Schooling and Assistant Professor Jacqueline Ho from Singapore Management University.

02:51 How parents try to game the system
04:52 Not following the spirit of the law
06:23 Is the system flawed or are we too “kiasu”?
09:27 Too many avenues, too much leeway?
12:10 Is jail a strong enough deterrence?
14:26 What happens when the “elite” schools are oversubscribed?
16:34 Should schools do more in promoting themselves?
17:43 Feedback by other parents matter when choosing a school

[thebottomsupblog]

Our P1 registration “early risk assessment” data for 2026 is up!

2026 P1 Balloting Risk

I’m from the KiasuParents team. On our team, we have parents with primary schoolers, as well as parents who are familiar with affiliated schools. We can also tap into our parent network to answer any questions you might have!

My #2 is currently in secondary school. We actually ignored all the highly popular schools that were nearer to us, and went to ballot at Phase 2B for SJIJ, which was more than 2km away We were very lucky to get a place at the time; it seems much less likely now!

Our decision-making process for choosing schools was quite straightforward. We wanted a gentler environment, and schools that focused on values. I attended MGS/RGPS, so my #1 had two schools to choose from, and we chose MGS.

For both these primary schools, I would say it’s been very positive for both my kids.

[thebottomsupblog]

KiasuParents Huddle: P1 Registration

School Choice, P1 Readiness, and Academic Pressure

8 July 2026 (Wed)

8PM to 9.30PM

If you are:

• Shortlisting schools, but not sure how to choose a "good" school?

• Unsure if your child is "ready" for P1?

Join us for a 90-minute conversation, and get answers to:

• How to choose a primary school when academics are a real concern

• What parents can do now to prepare children for P1 routines and expectations

• How to support your child without making primary school feel stressful from the start

Panellist

Chong Ee Jay

Seasoned family life educator and counsellor with over 15 years of experience

Trusted voice across English and Chinese media, including expert panels, radio, and television

Devoted husband, hands-on father, and occasional marathon runner

Panellist

Esther Foong

Family life education specialist, educator, and mother of two teenagers

14 years in Singapore’s public education system; currently supervising trainee teachers

Passionate about helping parents understand Generation Alpha and build strong family connections

Moderator

Carol Loi

Maxwell Leadership Certified Youth & Family Coach

Sign up now → 

[thebottomsupblog]

Our Chief Kiasu has dropped his latest P1 registration guide:

Get it here: https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-preview

[thebottomsupblog]

KiasuParents is holding a webinar for parents who want to get some reassurance about P1 registration and preparation.

If your kids are still in K1 or younger, you’re welcome to join in too!

https://luma.com/ltkvpymu

For other information relating to P1, such as balloting stats, please visit our P1 registration page:

https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/p1-registration

[thebottomsupblog]

Missed the P1 Registration webinar? Watch it on us! (until 31 July 2026)

Hi everyone! If you couldn't join yesterday's P1 Registration webinar, we've got you covered. We're giving away a 100% discount code so you can watch the full recording, completely free.

Take a peek at what's inside here: P1 Registration Webinar

To claim your free code, just:

1. Introduce yourself in this thread
2. Let us know you'd like to watch

This offer runs until 31 July 2026, so do let us know before then. We'll be in touch with your code via the forum. Hope it helps you head into P1 registration feeling prepared!

[thebottomsupblog]

Missed our P1 Registration webinar? Watch it free (until 31 July 2026)

Update (22 July 2026): We've made this easier, the code is now right here in this post, so there's no need to reply to claim it.

Take a peek at what's inside here: P1 Registration Webinar

Your free code (apply at checkout):

KIASUPARENTSP1SUPPORT

The code works until 31 July 2026, so do grab it before then.

Hope it helps you head into P1 registration feeling prepared!

[thebottomsupblog]

If you need a quick recap on what’s been happening for P1 registration, our Chief Kiasu’s latest articles are here!

• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-phase-2b-day-1
• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-phase-2b-preface
• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-phase-2a-completion
• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-phase-2a-day-1
• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-phase-1
• https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/2026-p1-registration-preview