Opinions of the Primary School Registration System
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benten2011:
Whoa! Superduperks did not mention HDB owners in his post.superduperks:
They can always falsely declare that my kid is staying w my so and so at thus address which owned by me. There are many ways out there for cheating parent to try. Unless MOE is willing to tighten their checks.
So effectively what you are saying is we are ok with PR's who can come here and afford to buy milliion dollar properties around the hot schools and hence stand a better chance for getting kids into the good schools. At the same time parents who is stuck with a hdb flat has no chance to get their kids into good schools because a) they own a hdb b) they need to meet minimum period of occupation. Are we not effectively disadvantaging our own citizens here? To fix the problem is simple all MOE needs to say is there should be a minimum time period for living around the school if a parent is going to apply within the 1km range. Simple as that. Just because there is a larger number of applicants within 1km we start blaming hdb flat owners. What a load of nonsense!
:?
Believe we are all on the same page. As long as the address (HDB or otherwise) is within 1km of the school; the residents are genuine owners of the property; and they have lived in the property for a period of years, then the child has every right to apply to the school. -
ChiefKiasu:
I agree on making information available on the number of applicants within each distance bracket.Yes. I absolutely agree that MOE should essentially make information regarding the number of applicants in each distant bucket available in real-time via Internet query. It will help parents to make better decisions, while reducing the load on school administrators.
If carparks can install carpark guidance systems to tell drivers where the empty lots are, there is no reason why such information cannot be made available, especially since MOE is running the central information system for all schools.
At the same time, I would like to propose that MOE make the LAST day of the Phase 2C registration a \"cooling-off\" day.
For schools where applications have not exceeded the allotment, it will be as per normal SOP. For schools where applications have exceeded the allotment, the schools should ONLY allow withdrawals, and NOT accept any new application unless the total number of withdrawals allow them to take on new applicants.
The purpose of this is to allow parents to come upfront and place their bets on the popular schools in the first 2 days, instead of waiting for the last day. On the last day, parents will then be fully cognizant of the riskiness of their decision, and can then decide to withdraw and register in other schools that have not already busted their limit.
For parents who decide to stay in the ballot, they do so with open eyes and cannot complain if they get balloted out. For parents who do not wish to go through the ballot, they will have time to withdraw and try for their 2nd choice schools without wasting their Phase 2C priority, instead of being relegated to Phase 2CS.
The advantage of the \"cooling-off\" day is that it reduces the uncertainty that parents have to deal with when being caught in a ballot situation. Too often, parents are not aware of the odds against them until AFTER the end of the Phase, by which time it is too late for them to make further adjustments.
Any support for this proposal?
For the cooling off day suggestion, it sounds good; it will definitely benefit the risk-takers (as well as those who do not have the skills, knowledge or time to monitor such stuff) as those who are 'weak-hearted' will be considering to withdraw and go on to select a second choice school. -
Why is the registration so bad this year? And I thought the birth rate is low…
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phtthp:
Hi Phtthp,Today's Straits Times (29 July 2011):
a) Traditional schools over subscribed in Phase 2C.
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/pdf/20110728/ST_IMAGES_ATPRI29A.pdf
b) Non traditional popular schools also over-subscribed:-
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/pdf/20110728/ST_IMAGES_ATPRI29B.pdf
c) Frontier headline news:-
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_696076.html
The over-subcription was mostly attributed to the influx of PRs and New Citizens.
According to this report
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/01/13/singapore-primary-schools-swarmed-by-prs-and-foreigners/ which was dated more than 1 year back, \"In a written reply to questions from Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen revealed that “about 26,000 permanent residents here are studying in national primary schools, making up about 10 per cent of the enrolment.”
The 10% is grossly understated. Given more than 1 year's time, i am sure that the numbers have more than doubled, those parents who had registered should be able to testify this. When I registered last year, I was in a waiting area with 20 other parents, and around 1/3 are holding BLUE IC....
I seriously think that having 2 ballot lots for Spore citizens are not going to help much, if we don't even get the chance to the balloting, in the first place. I believe many parents are stuck with their flats or current housing, and don't have the liberty (unlike PRs who are free to rent or buy their houses anywhere) to rent condos or houses within 1km of popular schools, to be eligible for any balloting in the first place. Singaporeans are being marginalized, and denied of a chance to stay in our own government public schools, which should rightfully serve the needs of our own citizen FIRST. Which country doesnt take care of their own citizens first?Sad to say, I think only our very own Singapore.....Somehow this is no longer the same Singapore that I have been borned, bred, educated and grown up in.... : (
In this article, it has also rightly pointed out that \"Singapore is perhaps one of the few countries in the world where PRs and foreigners are allowed to study in its public schools run by the Ministry of Education. In other countries, foreigners will have to put up their children in international schools.\"
From the way I look at it, the P1 registration situation is getting from bad to worse, over the years.
Having 1 extra ballot is simply not doing Singaporeans any good in getting our children in to the schools of our choice! All PRs should only be allowed to register in Phase 3 (except Phase 1, if they already have their siblings in the primary school, due to logistical arrangements).
If the PRs are not happy with the new scheme, they are more than welcome to join us and be our citizens. Don't keep riding on the benefits without really intending to be one of us! I have seen more than my fair share of PRs staying on in Singapore to ride on our education system for a few years, then go on to US or Australia for good, and never return. I have also seen PRs joining us to be citizens so that their children can enjoy 2 balloting lots too!
I came across this article which really knock some sense into me...maybe we should consider migrating, for I really cannot imagine what it would be like when it comes to our children's turn to register their children for P1.....really no eyes see.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/01/02/why-prs-should-not-be-competing-with-citizens-for-limited-primary-school-places/ -
chatty:
The over-subcription was mostly attributed to the influx of PRs and New Citizens...
gancheongdaddy \t
Post subject: Re: 2011 P1 Registration Exercise for 2012 In-Take
PostPosted: 15 Jul 2011 22:18
Offline
KiasuNewbie
KiasuNewbie
Joined: 27 Jan 2010 15:48
Posts: 8 \t
sc88 wrote:
If I'm not wrong, other countries Public School ,foreigners students (Including like PR etc) is not able to studies in their school? :roll:
They have to enrol under international schools, something like that. :roll:
gancheongdaddy wrote :
Not true... I studied in Public school in US, Canada and Hong Kong as International Student when my parents were posted there.. -
I agree with Chatty. IMHO, Singaporeans should be given priority over and above PR and foreigners during P1 registration, regardless if their numbers (PRs/foreigners) are big or small.
I was chatting with a friend who's Malaysian PR and she's registering her DD1 in P2C. When I told her from Phase 1 onwards, PRs get to register at the same time as Singaporeans, she was so surprised. :stupid: She thought Singaporeans enjoyed exclusivity when choosing schools.
BIG SIGHHHHH!!!! Really disheartened... :sad: -
Well said, Chatty. Our govt should overhaul this entire sys!
I have to compete with many PRs in Phase 2C, including some PR friends I have. Personally I feel this is not right. Why should they enjoy the same entitlements like we do?!
Even my friend was shocked to learn about the trend this year when I told her about my gripe. She said this is not even a dragon year! Furthermore not only my choice sch is over subscribed (God knows where this influx of kids from within the 1km - maybe PRs, maybe???), even neighborhood schs too!
Indeed this is a worrying trend… -
Just take a look at this - 30% of applicants under 1 km for MGS are PRs
http://www.mgs.sch.edu.sg/documents/0000/2322/newUpdate4.30add.pdf
Maybe there is some rationale to cap the number of PRs registering at each phase to 15 to 20%. They should ballot to get into the ballot! -
Why not tweak the system. Instead of having 50/50 for 2B and 2C, where foreigners are allowed to join in for regitration we have another phase for them. Say we split 40/40/20. Assume 2B and 2C remain and only for locals. A new 2C1 for foreigners and locals. If the assumption of foreigners hold, we locals should have enough place to go as our birth rate is so low. Foreigners will have their chance to get into the good schools too, but not least fight among themselves first.
Just my naive thought. Dream on. -
I didn't realise the influx of PRs was that high. Just take a look at this - 30% of applicants under 1 km for MGS are PRs
http://www.mgs.sch.edu.sg/documents/000 ... .30add.pdf
Maybe there is some rationale to cap the number of PRs registering at each phase to 15 to 20%. If they go over the cap, they should ballot to get into the ballot!
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