All About Home Addresses

[Ririan]

yes, that is true...

my colleague had to enroll her son in Ai Tong (phase 2A) as the nearest school from her house is Tao Nan, and she knew it was not wise to rely on 2C balloting cos the hit rate would be less than 50%. She is now planning the logistic arrangement, and she told me it is a headache but no choice.

LeeTaiTai:

Ririan:

IMHO, it is better to stay near the school the children are going to, logistically it will be easier for the parents, n also less tiring for the children. Whether the school agrees or not is one thing, the children n parents concerned also need to work out their own arrangement as the longer travel distance is going to affect the family daily (at least mon to fri).

It must be a tough decision for Green7, I can understand. Will u be able to find a landed 1-2km, since within 1km you can't find any nice ones. Mind if I ask when area are u residing?

Yes that is true we have to think of logistics but sometimes it's really beyond our control I must say. My ex-school is located quite far from our current location but at least we have a firm seat . if we choose a school close to home , it's sure must ballot and we risk sending my dd to a not so popular school ( based on ksp ranking :D) . It's always a struggle but better to have more options than none :imdrowning: .

[Green7]

I am staying in the East. Within 1 - 2 Km has more choices but the better ones are 2 - 3km. Basically the plan to move is also for the kids, I have 2 children so needed a bigger space for them to grow up comfortably [ Currently, they are bunking together in a room on mattresses :(. Trust most parents wants to give the best to their children within their means ].


Staying near the school is of course the top priority but we also need to consider other factors when selecting a landed property. That's why the dilemma.

[Ririan]

Green7


I can totally understand!

I have three kids myself, and they are growing up so fast! Hubby and I just bought a landed property recently too. While looking around for a nice property (we started more than a year ago), we had to consider so many factors, being near school was one of them, and seriously, it was so stressful. Finally we decided on a property (it was love at first sight LOL), and God bless, there was a pretty nice school just within one km, and my kids just got balloted in last week. I am really lucky.

Wish you all the best!! Your kids are so lucky to have such a doting parent

[verykiasu2010]

Green7:

I am staying in the East. Within 1 - 2 Km has more choices but the better ones are 2 - 3km. Basically the plan to move is also for the kids, I have 2 children so needed a bigger space for them to grow up comfortably [ Currently, they are bunking together in a room on mattresses :(. Trust most parents wants to give the best to their children within their means ].


Staying near the school is of course the top priority but we also need to consider other factors when selecting a landed property. That's why the dilemma.

I suggest you go talk to the school principal about your intention and get an understanding, be up front and be open, nobody can malign you in the future

[VanHalen]

Lizzie:

MMM:

My feeling about this home address thingy is that it's actually very widely practised.


1) People renting a place (eg. whole unit/ rooms) for 2 years and using that address for P1 registration and they got in.
2) People buying a house within 1km to desired school. In reality they will use the address for P1 registration but rent the house out to someone who is not registering.
3) People who changed their address to relatives/ parents who are staying within 1km to desired school.

I am sure in everyone's circle of friends, there are bound to be people who do that. It's scary because it is not uncommon. For the scenario that I listed above, 1 and 2 required financial resources so it might be more restrictive. But I've heard scarier things about how people are taught to beat the system....

For the school bus, the parents can give excuse like the child needs to go to caregiver's house that's why the address is different. This is not uncommon too. Eg. a child on my kids' bus actually drop off at his auntie's place. Nothing wrong with that.

I think i raised this as I am in a dilemma as there are too many whistles to blow. On the other hand, what are the controls the schools/ MOE have in place to prevent this?

MOE definitely needs to enforce fairness in the system.I personally know of a friend who is a PR in Singapore with no intention of what so ever to takeup citizenship making use of the system to get her kid into the desired school. She flipped her property elsewhere and with the half a mil profit in her pockets , she rented a pte ppty within 1 km of NYPS and RGPS to to register her two kids there, hearing that these two tops schools hardly need to ballot for those staying within 1 km in phase 2C- see statistics for 2010. The question if will she be staying in the rented place for the entire period the child'seducation remains to be seen. I do hope the school conducts periodic checks to ensure fairness otherwise, it will be just a case of moneytocracy whereby anyone with money to splash can get round the balloting problem. just my two cents opinion

Moneytocracy is reality here.

[verykiasu2010]

many singaporeans also doing the rental trick, not just the PR

[LOLMum]

now living within 1 km also might not guarantee a place in school, some people would be renting instead of buying.

[markfch]

Just curious. Is it stated anywhere officially that the child must continue to stay in the address stated during registration for x period of time upon successful registration?


I mean for someone who rented a place and genuinely stayed there till registration is over, what’s the consequence of him relocating later, like immediately after registration. Remember my example is that he actually stayed there till registration is over. Therefore no rules are broken.

I’m actually very interested to hear the outcome of Greenie’s case.

[verykiasu2010]

markfch:

Just curious. Is it stated anywhere officially that the child must continue to stay in the address stated during registration for x period of time upon successful registration?


I mean for someone who rented a place and genuinely stayed there till registration is over, what's the consequence of him relocating later, like immediately after registration. Remember my example is that he actually stayed there till registration is over. Therefore no rules are broken.

I'm actually very interested to hear the outcome of Greenie's case.

there is no regulation to say that the parent/child must stay in the registration address through out the 6 years

so long as the registration address is the genuine one, even if it is rental......there is no law saying any family must legally own a house and cannot rent a house

[Lizzie]

verykiasu2010:

markfch:

Just curious. Is it stated anywhere officially that the child must continue to stay in the address stated during registration for x period of time upon successful registration?


I mean for someone who rented a place and genuinely stayed there till registration is over, what's the consequence of him relocating later, like immediately after registration. Remember my example is that he actually stayed there till registration is over. Therefore no rules are broken.

I'm actually very interested to hear the outcome of Greenie's case.

there is no regulation to say that the parent/child must stay in the registration address through out the 6 years

so long as the registration address is the genuine one, even if it is rental......there is no law saying any family must legally own a house and cannot rent a house

Okie I am definitely all for renting near a place just to get my kid into the popular schools but playing the devil's advocate here,would genuine home owners within 1 km of popular schools who gets outballoted by \"temporary tenants\" have a case of complain with these schools . I mean has there ever been cases like these happening before? To be honest, if I were such homeowners and I got balloted out of a place by a temporary tenant who decides to move away immediately after getting a place . I might just complain to the school.anyone knows?