All About Home Addresses
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Being kaypoh, I checked with MOE and got a response today. A very detailed one too... so kudos to MOE and the staff involved for customer service.
Essentially, other than what is published on their website (ie. the regulation on using the address of an uncompleted property), there are no regulations pertaining to how long before or after P1 registration that parents are required to rent or stay at an address. If you register with an NRIC address, your child \"should\" stay at that address for the duration of Primary school, but it is not mandated and you are allowed to move. If you do not intend to stay at that address for long, you are expected to inform the school during the registration process so that the school will assign the correct priority to you during balloting. It's pretty much an honor system. Though you are allowed to move subsequently, if you are unable to provide a reasonable explanation as to why you are doing so should the school finds out and inquires, the school retain the right to reassign your vacancy to others in the waiting list.
There have been cases as highlighted earlier in this thread where people were caught red-handed taking advantage of the system without proper explanation. The punishment is severe and embarrassing for the parents and children involved. Again I say that no school is good enough for parents to resort to such means of getting a school for their children. -
ChiefKiasu:
Yes, MOE has a \"standard reply\" for similar queries. In fact, when we wrote to MOE, we only had a query about whether there was a minimum time prior to registration as we were wondering how far ahead to plan when we should buy and move home but they came back with the LONG reply about using your rental address etc. I suspect MOE knows that there are parents who rent short term for the purposes of P1 registration and want to discourage that without openly saying so under their guidelines.Being kaypoh, I checked with MOE and got a response today. A very detailed one too... so kudos to MOE and the staff involved for customer service.
Essentially, other than what is published on their website (ie. the regulation on using the address of an uncompleted property), there are no regulations pertaining to how long before or after P1 registration that parents are required to rent or stay at an address. If you register with an NRIC address, your child \"should\" stay at that address for the duration of Primary school, but it is not mandated and you are allowed to move. If you do not intend to stay at that address for long, you are expected to inform the school during the registration process so that the school will assign the correct priority to you during balloting. It's pretty much an honor system. Though you are allowed to move subsequently, if you are unable to provide a reasonable explanation as to why you are doing so should the school finds out and inquires, the school retain the right to reassign your vacancy to others in the waiting list.
There have been cases as highlighted earlier in this thread where people were caught red-handed taking advantage of the system without proper explanation. The punishment is severe and embarrassing for the parents and children involved. Again I say that no school is good enough for parents to resort to such means of getting a school for their children.
In fact, it was only when we wrote the 2nd time to clarify what they meant by \"temporary\" that MOE came back to insist that one must stay the full six years. I guess when push comes to shove and they are put on the spot, they feel this is the appropriate response. -
workingmom:
Actually, we should just accept it as a fact that there is NO regulations regarding the time parents must be staying at the registration address, at least at this point in time, and be thankful that MOE is not being too rigid in its rulings. It would be terrible if they change the ruling such that no parents with Primary school children can move house, just because of some bad eggs.Yes, MOE has a \"standard reply\" for similar queries. In fact, when we wrote to MOE, we only had a query about whether there was a minimum time prior to registration as we were wondering how far ahead to plan when we should buy and move home but they came back with the LONG reply about using your rental address etc. I suspect MOE knows that there are parents who rent short term for the purposes of P1 registration and want to discourage that without openly saying so under their guidelines.
In fact, it was only when we wrote the 2nd time to clarify what they meant by \"temporary\" that MOE came back to insist that one must stay the full six years. I guess when push comes to shove and they are put on the spot, they feel this is the appropriate response. -
Thanks so much for finding out for me... think in this case, I better seriously look for a good property to buy near the school.
Erm... side-track abit and to ask bluntly..... for those schools which accept \"donations\" so that kids are more or less given a space in school without having to go thru the stressful balloting procedures.... how to ask the school how much they want? And any idea.... how much is a good sum? Sorry... quite blunt but juz curious. -
hunnylemon:
definitely in terms of thousands of dollars, some even way into 5digits...Thanks so much for finding out for me... think in this case, I better seriously look for a good property to buy near the school.
Erm... side-track abit and to ask bluntly..... for those schools which accept \"donations\" so that kids are more or less given a space in school without having to go thru the stressful balloting procedures.... how to ask the school how much they want? And any idea.... how much is a good sum? Sorry... quite blunt but juz curious.will burn a hole in ur pocket...
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My friend tried offering $10k to a school in Punggol but she was rejected by the principal! LOL. Anyway she balloted under Phase2c <1km and didn’t get in, so now balloting under Phase2C(S) under another school.
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Luanee:
My friend tried offering $10k to a school in Punggol but she was rejected by the principal! LOL. Anyway she balloted under Phase2c <1km and didn't get in, so now balloting under Phase2C(S) under another school.
It's all relative. $10K don't get you much these days. Some alumni members donate as much on a regular basis to the school. I would imagine the minimum starting bid would be half a million to be of real use to the school. -
hi, im new here and hv just started researching pri schools…
ive been thinking whether isit really wise to move bcos of the schools? shifting is not an easy task and there’re lotsa things to consider besides just finding a flat, buy and move in…
furthermore, staying within 1km doesnt mean u’ll get a place in that sch of ur choice… and what hap if you don’t get a place after gng thru the hassle of mvg? i rembr reading some articles abt such cases…
so right now, im stuck at weighing the importance of sending my child to a good sch vs neighbourhood schools…
anyone can offer any advice? -
Hi,
I'm facing the same dilemma too.
I have been thinking if it is worthwhile to buy a property and move to somewhere within that 1 km proximity just to get into a school of my choice.
If there is a ballot even for the above criteria and i didn't manage to get a place for my kid... I am sure to curse and swear :x (actually curse and swear also no use right?... but there is nothing else we can do except to accept the fact that the school is just not meant for us!!)
But really.. i am thinking :roll: ... (1) if it's better to just place my son into a quite-good-neighbourhood-school where we would be under Ph 2A2 (so a place would be guaranteed)... rather than (2) going thru all hassle of buying a property and moving house and going thru a ballot and not guaranteed a place in the school......
My hubby said perhaps we should just forget about buying a property near the school and use the money instead to engage very good tutors for our son... definitely cost less and maybe more effective in helping him get good grades. That sounds pretty logical too, I guess! -
If you are staying less than 1km from the school you desire, getting into the PV programme or clan/church membership will ALMOST guarantee you a place in the school. You will at least have 2 chances to ballot if the school is so popular that balloting is required for Phase 2B under 1km.
Instead of spending the money and time on looking for and moving to another location, why not spend it on your child instead and go to a nearby school as long as it is reasonably good? As long as you are comfortable with the school’s teaching staff, environment, character development, academic and extra-curricular programmes, the school IS good enough for any student to excel and get prepared for the real battles at the Secondary and tertiary levels. What is more important is that your child gets your attention and support throughout his Primary school life.