Opinions of the Primary School Registration System
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:goodpost:
Jas007:
just out of curiosity, are you involved in the current registration exercise, and if so, which phase were/are you at ?
we look to the gahment to fix this ... bcos they are the very ones to put us into this situation in the first place !!!
\"PRs & FTs just go and do what's needed and get what they need. I guarantee you that no matter how you 'stack' the odds against them, they will work out a way to game the system and get the child into the school of their choice.\"
when seeking greener pastures, what is the point of being contented with just getting to your destination ...
of cos you will see them going all out, doing PVs at 3 top schools if need be ...
are they truly here bcos they wanna settled down and make Singapore their home ... or are most of them here to milk whatever it is out there
i cite an example, a story sometime ago i heard of a filthy rich China PR ... already own a few properties here in SG ...
his agent asked why are you still looking to buy a HDB flat
answer : there's $$ to be made, why even give someone else that opportunity to make that money (surely seems kachang kuteh amount to one so rich)
as for forefathers being FT once themselves, they came here with nothing ... and set up their families here ... we are their legacy
can we say the same of the majority of the PRs that are living amongst us now ?
how many will indeed eventually take up citizenship ? and how many will turn tails and balek kumpung ... or move on to the next greener pasture ?
we Singaporeans, sure for some there's the option of migrating ... but for most, this is our country where we were born and raised ... where our families and friends are ... where our history and possibly our legacy will remain -
Khordan:
I think it's disappointing that in a forum I had previously thought to be full of rational people is letting this wave of xenophobia run rampant.
Before we continue with this railing and chest-beating about PRs & FTs, don't forget that ALL of us are recent descendents of FTs; our grandparents (or in some cases, great-grandparents) were FTs. Some of our best known and most sought-after schools were built by FTs for FTs.
As for the consternation about the various phases and whether it is right or not, we are just going around in circles. There is no way you are going to convince alumni they are not entitled to their priority. Similarly, clan members, christians, buddhists, and grassroot leaders and PVs all believe they are entitled to that priority (just like many seem to believe they are entitled to more priority just for being Singaporean). Some suggest that distance from home should be the only criteria for determining priority. Personally, I think that's the worst criteria. Of all the criteria in use today, it's the only one that can be solved by money.
Finally, rather than expect a system that can be fair to the 40,000+ kids who are registering each year (I have news for you, there will never be a system that can be fair to all), I do have respect for those who just quietly go and do what needs to be done to 'game' the system; create chances for themselves in earlier phases through PV, or other routes. Perhaps that's why many consider the new immigrants such a threat. Unlike many Singaporeans who just sit back, complain and expect the Government to fix it for them, these PRs & FTs just go and do what's needed and get what they need. I guarantee you that no matter how you 'stack' the odds against them, they will work out a way to game the system and get the child into the school of their choice.
Yes, our grandparents were indeed FT who came to Singapore. The BIG difference was that our grandparents came to Singapore, with all intentions to set up their homes here, and be rooted here in Singapore, and NOT just reaping off the benefits, and hoping to go elsewhere better, some years down the road.
It's the lack of commitment and love for Singapore, shown by some PRs, only to cash in on our systems and schemes to their fullest benefit. That's the sickening part....
Just came back from the NDP Preview, and was watching it with very mixed feelings, at this place which we called home. If the PRs could truly embrace Singapore and our culture, then take up citizenship and serve NS, like a true blue proud Singaporean! Defend your home country and serve your fellow Singaporeans! What are these PRs waiting for??? -
Jas007:
Hi Jas007,
this year's policy of appeasing true blue Singaporeans by giving us that extra balloting slip should never have been passed fit ...
we should have been given first priorities over New Citizens, PRs, and foreigners
having gone thru P1 reg this year, i now truly understand and can feel what last year's applicants really went thru when there was NO advantage of being Singaporeans when it comes time to choosing a school in your country over foreign imports .
Well said!! EXACTLY how I feel.
I am thankful that I got a place within 1km, under phase 2C for my DS last year. No balloting required in my case, but from the way I see it, within the next few years, balloting within 1km (for either 2B or 2C) should be a common sight for most schools if MOE does nothing to tweak the system.
The Singapore government gives out tax relief to NSMen and NSMen's wives, shouldn't they also set a priority for NSMen's children when it comes to P1 registration too? -
We have been tracking P1 registration for the last 4 years. Every year, after Phase 2C, there will usually be calls for changes to the registration processes, to change the perceived \"unfairness\" of the system.
However, we have noticed that emotions against PRs have been growing much stronger since a couple of years back. It started as a murmur in 2009, to being quietly expressed in 2010, and it is out in force this year. This is not only a trend in KiasuParents.com, but it is present in almost all other social media. It is not just the Temasek Review. If you have time to spare, just read Yahoo Singapore's news on the http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/poly-student-sentenced-13-years-jail-rape-044013672.html. THAT, my friends, is xenophobia. What's more. It's on a global media platform.
That feeling has been growing stronger ever since the Opposition made it a campaigning issue in the recent elections. I noted at that point, that it was a dangerous card for ANY party to play. They did, anyway. In recent days, whether it is about the potential rise in transport fees, or the perceived difficulty in securing places in Primary schools, or giving of scholarships to non-Singaporeans, the PR issue has always been brought up as the source of problems, not only in social media, but even in mainstream media. Pictures abound in STOMP showing examples of bad behavior of \"foreigners\" in public places.
Pandora's box has been opened. And we are only seeing the beginning of the problems.
In this thread, most of the argument is centred around Singaporeans' birthright to good schools and that PRs should remain as 2nd class citizens and should only be allowed into the schools after \"pure-bred\" Singaporeans have made their choices. It is not possible to argue against the pragmatism and rationality of such an argument - this is our home, and the last thing we want is to have our \"guests\" take the best cut of the pie, especially if it is something that we desperately want for our beloved children.
For parents who have had trouble getting your children into your choice schools, we can fully comprehend your frustration at the system. As a father, I would be devastated if I can't get my child into the school I want, especially when I have invested in optimising my chances by buying and moving to a new property and faithfully taking leave to do PV every week. I would demand changes to system. I would ask why someone else who was \"less deserving\" was given the seat which \"rightfully\" belongs to my child. And since the cause is due to the \"influx of PRs\", I would question the manpower policies which caused this situation in the first place.
But if we pause to consider this: suppose the authorities do put in measures to further reduce the chances of PRs, by removing them from Phases 1 to 2B, would it actually improve our chances? My conjecture is: it will not. For a simple reason. More PRs will just become citizens. They will be indistinguishable from you and me, the \"sons of the soil\" as some say. Will we be really happier that more PVs have become citizens? No, we will not, because the jams, the competition for places in schools and property, etc, will remain.
But such a policy will cast in stone the reality of a \"2nd-class citizen\", where there is a sizable population of Singaporeans who are not born of Singapore, and thus treated with disdain by the \"sons of the soil\". Over time, we will become a fragmented society. Think apartheid, where restaurants tout signs saying: \"Dogs and blacks not allowed\".
Our strength as a nation has always been based on our high tolerance and respect for diversity. \"Regardless of race, language, or religion\". That's the cornerstone of our nation. We cannot possibly pledge ourselves as Singaporeans if we choose to pigeon-hole or stereotype specific communities as \"trouble-makers\" or \"greedy and street-smart rich PRs who will always solve problems through bribery\". For every one such example who is a PR, we can probably find another who is a \"pure-bred\" Singaporean.
We are not a homogeneous society like many other countries in Europe and Asia. We have always been a mix of peoples. And we will always be a mix of peoples. We don't blink an eyelid when we see Malays and Indians walking amongst Chinese, which would have certainly raised eyebrows in many parts of Europe and Japan. For this, we have to thank the wisdom of our fore-fathers who recognised that for our unique community to succeed, everyone must practice tolerance just so we can all focus single-mindedly on nation-building. And personally, I have taken pride in explaining this unique feature of our nation to many of my foreign friends, who would listen in awe and wonder how we managed to do this.
It is my fear that this is all about to change. I have never seen such an open outburst of emotions against any specific community in all my life here as a Singaporean, as I have seen in the last 6 months. As Singaporeans feel more and more threatened by our invited guests, who are no longer just a minority in our society, resentment will fester between the different communities. It will take only a small event to bring things to a head. And when that happens, we will all suffer in a country fraught with internal strife.
Who's fault is it that created the current situation? I think this question is moot, and no longer relevant. What I think is more important is for our Government to speak up on this issue, to openly recognise that there is indeed a major socio-cultural problem that is taking root in our society, and to device and execute plans to arrest the problem before it becomes terminal.
It is easy for our Government to increase class sizes or build more schools, and more rails and trains to scale our infrastructure to meet the needs of our much increased population. It is also easy for our Government to revise their manpower policies to apply greater restraint and better control the rate of population growth.
But it will be impossible to repair the trust that we Singaporeans once had with each other, and our willingness to be good neighbours with each other because we are all in the same boat, regardless of our race, language, and origins. -
Chief,
Thank you so much for your post! I have been alarmed by many of the recent posts here, and comments elsewhere. Thank you for providing your perspective on the issue. -
benten2011:
Yes that is true that our descendents and granparents were all foreigners. However they and we build these nation from scratch. There was a time where nobody even knew where Singapore was. And today all that hardwork of our descendents is being questioned. That is sad. Back then our grandparents came here with nothing and built it all up. Today we are seeing the same foreigners coming in as cash rich and competing with the local singaporean for space in schools which should be the first right of the 'son of the soil'. How do we singaporeans compete with the cash rich foreigner who comes in, gets a PR and is able to afford to buy a multimillion dollar home around ACS simly to get that priority at school? Our migrant forefathers did not do that. anyway im just a simple person who is concerned about our kids education. that's all. :rahrah:
The example quoted, ie. ACS, is a true example of how foreigners who draw a higher income than many average Sgporeans are able to 'buy' a chance in popular schs such as ACS, MGS, SCGS, RGPS, NYPS by simply purchasing high-end properties (ie. 1.8-2K per sq foot apartments) If priority was given to Sgporeans, many more Sgporeans would have had a chance to enter these schools.
I would also not blame parents to link the influx of foreigners.Too many schools are oversubscribed and balloting (eg. even new schs like Frontier). Considering that Sgp has one of the birth rates in the world. If we did not cut a substantial number of classes avail in 2012, what could other possible reasons be?
There is really no all right or all wrong about our registration system, as good Sgporeans we just press on and do our best. I do however truly understand how parents may feel to have to fight for a place with foreigners who may have turned PR only in recent years. Many have spent time (PV), money and effort (moved entire household) or even both just so they can stand a better chance to place their child in the school of their choice (based on academic results, CCAs, or just simply the needs of the child) only to know they lost a place to someone who may not have lived their lives here.
Let's be sensitive to many parents who still need to face balloting next Fri and not cast judgement on each other. We all just want what we think is best for our children, afterall the Sgp education system is truly one of the most rigorous in the world. -
:goodpost:
superbly analyzed and written chief
:udaman: -
heck a thought just came to my mind ...
i feel like a PR in this forum ...
i'm here to milk the info i seek ...
do PV work in 2 sections (in the form of posting my comments)
get my boy into hopefully his school of choice
blend in with the locals ...
keep PR status (never taking up citizenship) ...
make a few return trips here, most times back to my country of orgin (HWZ)
and years later after my kid has finished his O's / A's ...
never set foot in this forum again
sounds like a PR hor
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A hungry person is an angry person.
It can be hungry for food, that is when out of job (taken by FT), no money to buy food.
It can be hungry for space, that is when it feel so crowded in peak hours whether its private transport or public transport.
It can be hungry for desired school, and not able to get it.
It can be hungry …, it goes on.
It is definitely a mistake made when taking in so many and many more to come (remember the target 6.5m) when the nation’s infrastructure is not ready to take the numbers.
When a person is hungry and angry, not only cannot recognise FT, may also cannot recognise fellow country person or Gov, maybe worst, own parents also cannot recognise (六亲不认). When everyone is angry, the situation will be terrible. -
I think what Chief wrote summed it up best.
I want to share this passage with the folks here.
Immigration and multiculturalism are issues that this government is trying to address, but for far too long ordinary Australians have been kept out of any debate by the major parties. I and most Australians want our immigration policy radically reviewed and that of multiculturalism abolished. I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians. Between 1984 and 1995, 40 per cent of all migrants coming into this country were of Asian origin. They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate. Of course, I will be called racist but, if I can invite whom I want into my home, then I should have the right to have a say in who comes into my country. A truly multicultural country can never be strong or united. The world is full of failed and tragic examples, ranging from Ireland to Bosnia to Africa and, closer to home, Papua New Guinea. America and Great Britain are currently paying the price. Arthur Calwell was a great Australian and Labor leader, and it is a pity that there are not men of his stature sitting on the opposition benches today. Arthur Calwell said: Japan, India, Burma, Ceylon and every new African nation are fiercely anti-white and anti one another. Do we want or need any of these people here? I am one red-blooded Australian who says no and who speaks for 90% of Australians. I have no hesitation in echoing the words of Arthur Calwell.
These words were not spoken by some radical crazy person. It is taken from the maiden speech to the Australian Parliament by Pauline Hanson, after she was elected as the Member of Oxley as an independent, after being kicked out of the Liberal Party.
I was studying in Australia at that time. I recalled the alarm felt by fellow Asians in & out of Australia that a person with such xenophobic & racist views would be able to win a seat in parliament and was gathering support, that she was able to form a political party based on these themes, One Nation. The party was even able to win a significant number of seats in the Queensland State Government.
The one consolation that I had was that at the end of my education, I will return to Singapore, where not only do we tolerate people regardless of race, language or religion, we embrace them as brothers.
Sadly, in ten years, we have managed to tear all that down. Today, you see similar sentiments to Ms Hansen's being expressed in forums, in blogs, & all over internet. In fact, take that passage above, replace 'Australians' with 'Singaporeans', and 'Asians' with 'Chinese and Indians'. Post in a site like TRE & I guarantee you will get a large chorus of 'YES!'.
The other example I would like to remind us all is another politician, who came to power by promising to return the country to the 'sons of the soil'. He claimed that a certain group of people had conspired to bring hardship and grief to the country and if elected, he would take back what rightfully belonged to these 'sons of the soil' & these people will be made into '2nd class citizens'. He whipped up so much public hatred that when he came to power, nobody blinked an eyelid when he instituted one of the greatest acts against humanity in the 20th century. We know that act today by the simple word, 'Holocaust'. The politician is Adolf Hitler.
I am not deliberately trying to be melodramatic here, but we are on this slippery slope. I hope we as a people are mature enough to be able to think rationally and coherently through the issues. So far, I've been wrong. For the sake of our nation's future, I hope I do not stay wrong.
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