Opinions of the Primary School Registration System
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Look, I am not here to knock the PEOPLE who do PV. I’ve been there myself and I know the motivations. However, as this is a thread about P1 admissions, I am stating a view about the PV SYSTEM, the behaviour it engenders, and the inequity it promulgates.
I had the ‘privilege’ of doing PVs at 2 different schools, and having my son admitted to one of the schools eventually. No one doubts the earnestness and sincerity of the administrators tasked to manage PVs, at least in the schools I volunteered at. However, one could not get a sense of whether they really understood or felt that PVs were provisioning anything that they could not more easily just had procured from a private vendor.
Further, my experience in both schools were so vastly different, from the selection process, the administration, to eventually the PVs roles (one offered a role related to my professional interest, one completely unrelated) performed, that I cannot but feel that it was a somewhat arbitrary exercise.
Last but not least, this scheme favours the well educated and well heeled, at least in the majority. If you have some qualification, control your own hours, or an SAHM for whom the husband earns enough to keep the house going, congratulations, you are in the frame. If you have to punch time in and out at the factory, too bad. Kudos to TNS for flattening the playing field, but what you end up, even there, is nothing more a parent selection exercise, if all you get to do is be a lollipop man. And one gets the sense that in that case, it really is opening a PV programme for the sake of doing it.
Call it hypocritical if you will, but having benefited from it, I can see how weighted it is against families who already have things stacked against them, and I really wish for this to be changed. -
3boys you have gotten the crux of my views which many have failed to. To reiterate, I am not against any phase. What I am saying is that under the current P1 registration sysyem, phase 2A can effectively fill up to 100%. There will be no phase 2B/C if this happen. Thereby, creating an entrenchment of an elite class. Core values are shaped at early age. And if our future generations are already grouped (in vs out group) so early in life, how can the government then expect these elite groups to integrate with the masses later in life? And the worrying part is-- some schools already hitting 70 plus percent now. Thus, the call for the government to address this gap in the system.
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mummy168:
3boys you have gotten the crux of my views which many have failed to. To reiterate, I am not against any phase. What I am saying is that under the current P1 registration sysyem, phase 2A can effectively fill up to 100%. There will be no phase 2B/C if this happen. Thereby, creating an entrenchment of an elite class. Core values are shaped at early age. And if our future generations are already grouped (in vs out group) so early in life, how can the government then expect these elite groups to integrate with the masses later in life? And the worrying part is-- some schools already hitting 70 plus percent now. Thus, the call for the government to address this gap in the system.
But then, is there any easy way out? I haven't thought this through very much; but if they lift the 2A and 2B, it will all boil down to distance right?
In that case, only those with loads of money to spend (aka the elite) will be able to afford homes near the schools and still end up in those schools they eye (or at least with a very good chance). Property prices near choice schools possibly will spiral to dizzying heights. -
hquek:
Once you remove the Phase 2 onwards, it all boils down to those having loads of money who can afford to stay near the school of choice. Won't that be worse and un-fair to the non-elite ? Condos are sprouting out near choice schools and not everyone can afford to buy one either.mummy168:
To reiterate, I am not against any phase. What I am saying is that under the current P1 registration sysyem, phase 2A can effectively fill up to 100%. There will be no phase 2B/C if this happen. Thereby, creating an entrenchment of an elite class. Core values are shaped at early age. And if our future generations are already grouped (in vs out group) so early in life, how can the government then expect these elite groups to integrate with the masses later in life? And the worrying part is-- some schools already hitting 70 plus percent now. Thus, the call for the government to address this gap in the system.
But then, is there any easy way out? I haven't thought this through very much; but if they lift the 2A and 2B, it will all boil down to distance right?
In that case, only those with loads of money to spend (aka the elite) will be able to afford homes near the schools and still end up in those schools they eye (or at least with a very good chance). Property prices near choice schools possibly will spiral to dizzying heights. -
I took a look at Phase 2A:
Phase 2A1
For a child whose parent is a former student of the school and who has joined the alumni association as a member not later than 30 Jun 2009; or whose parent is a member of the School Advisory/Management Committee.
Phase 2A2
For a child whose parent or sibling has studied in the school of choice; or whose parent is a staff member of the school of choice. -
dorisp:
Some of the children may have parents teaching in the school.I took a look at Phase 2A:
Phase 2A1
For a child whose parent is a former student of the school and who has joined the alumni association as a member not later than 30 Jun 2009; or whose parent is a member of the School Advisory/Management Committee.
Phase 2A2
For a child whose parent or sibling has studied in the school of choice; or whose parent is a staff member of the school of choice. -
Phase 2A consists of alumnis, school mgt commitees, school staff members.
Someone mentioned in earlier posts that these people contributed partly to the success of the schools hence their children are entitled a place in 2A. Correct me if I am wrong, if the no. of applicant exceeds those available, they are also subject to balloting according to distance.
If there is a an artificial cap to the no. of vacancies in this phase just to make more room for more vacancies for phase 2B and 2C, then it also doesn't sound right.
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dorisp:
Yes, I heard this from someone too.Phase 2A consists of alumnis, school mgt commitees, school staff members.
Someone mentioned in earlier posts that these people contributed partly to the success of the schools hence their children are entitled a place in 2A. Correct me if I am wrong, if the no. of applicant exceeds those available, they are also subject to balloting according to distance.
Children who are offspring should enjoy Phase 2A priority bcos their parents have contributed to the schools and still serving the school in the committee. Furthermore, if their parents are teachers, the kids should enjoy Phase 2A even more. -
So it does sounds not so right that in the name of fairness, we deprive some children of these group of people (alumni etc) a chance to enrol into the school. Yes it is true that reducing the vacancies of 2A will free up more vacancies for 2B and 2C, but if one is in the shoe of these alumni or school staff, it may be your turn to feel unfair............... :lol:
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My proposal, based strictly on convenience and levelling, and doing away with multiple opaque strata;
Phase 1 - Siblings of students
Phase 2 - Everyone else, within 5km. Too many applicants? Ballot for all within 5km, and no further subdivision.
That’s it.
Rationale - 5km is still a reasonable distance to travel for schooling, and is a more logical cut-off than 2km. And by doing so (yes, I’ve checked on a map for a few popular schools), the overlaps in school catchment areas, mix of residences (public and private), and the sheer volume of residences encompassed dilutes out any effect of folk relocating to be ‘near’ good schools and makes it irrelevant.
No entrenched alumni, members of the board, sudden religious conversions.
No scrapping for PVs, RCs, and all the accompanied ‘string pulling’ and opacity of process.
No sudden spikes in property prices within 1k or 2k of popular schools. Perhaps milder, manageable increases for those 5k, as there are far more to go around, and the incentive is not too great if you think you are going to have to ballot after all.
There, now everyone is in with a shout…
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