MOE Relooking P1 registration - Too much priority to alumni

[znzyzyzx]

i second this.

vicki:

My thoughts.

They should completely do away with all phases and distances or should they?

> I keep hearing everyone say must be fair and stuff (either to those alumni/ volunteers/ within 2km etc) so if we should be completely fair, i believe we should just do away with all the phases and all go for balloting at their school of choice. Then its just luck whether you get in or not. If you think you are in a school that is 'too far' from your house, then just shift house lor - since it doesnt really seem like an issue to 'shift near the school of choice in the first place'.


> Any other methods to allocate schools other than the above is definitely not a 'fair' method - so depends on where you are positioned now - you will probably shout hurray or grumble (me included!)

And - i dont really buy the argument of 'i stay near a school and therefore i should have my birthright of getting in'.

It might not apply to all , but some parents 'purposely buy a house near a good school - cant get in - then complain/ grumble whatever - using this statement.'

I mean if you are really that concerned abt staying near the school - then just buy a house near a 'unpopular' school and send your kids there lor - bao get in one - BUT - are you willing?

So, back to my grumble - pple are grumbling cos things do not go in accordance with their plans - hence not abt the distance/ phases issue - but rather a 'popular school issue'.

[znzyzyzx]

yup, current practice of PV open to abuse 走后门的一大堆，只要你的谁的谁认识校长

hokkiengirl:

I fully applaud the move to relook the P1 registration system. Too many kids are being forced out of the schools nearest to their homes because of the lack of places. My take is that priority to the children of alumni parents should be restricted and not a given. Maybe a quota can be put in place? And within the quota, should there be not enough places, the spaces could be allocated based on the family's proximity to the school. So it doesn't necessarily mean that your girl can automatically get into RGPS (for example) even if you live in Pasir Ris! That may be fairer.

Actually, I am one of those parents who benefited from the PV scheme. It was a lifeline to me, as I have Tigger sons, jumpy boys who cannot focus. And Boy No. 2 is a very sensitive chap who did not thrive in a results-focused kindy. (We've since pulled him out and put him in a kinder, friendlier environment and he is doing just fine.)

Ironically, the school nearest to my home was a 'branded' school, one of those that parents would move mountains to send their children to. It is also extremely stressful. Not a good fit. The perfect school for us was more than 2 km away. A nice, little neighbourhood school run on a single session. If not for the PV scheme, I might not have had the chance to send my children to the Happy School, so I can't complain about the system.

Perhaps a better thing to do would be to tweak it. Parents could ballot for places, instead of being 'chosen' by the principal. Fairer? And if there is too much demand for the PV places, I do think Singaporean parents should be given priority, and PRs can take up the rest of the places, so that is one's reward for doing NS!

[znzyzyzx]

Nebbermind:

actually donch need to revamp the P1 registration.

Just let these branded schools increase their intake or set up another school lor!! Then slowly slowly the branded ones will take up the noone-want schools in the neighbours and set up 'branch1', 'branch2'....

Then we will be left with only branded schools....just like we now only have a handful of local banks....

:evil:

why not all schools in spore renamed to : Great Singapore primary school (GSPS)

[ngsc23]

Is it possible to have a 20-30% of total vacancy allocated for phase 2C instead of the current 50/50 after phase 2A ? Meaning that there could be a higher chance for those not affiliated or PV in current system ? So maybe 2B will see more ballot ? Those fail in 2B with connections given 1 more slip for 2C balloting ? In both 2B/C sg kids should be given priority.


There is no perfect solution to P1 registration. So long is beneficial to most pp we should accept it. To me, nothing is fair in the world.

[cherrygal]

So confusing… I was going to sell my house to move nearer the targeted schools, using PV or church connections. With MOE considering changes, should I move or not? Or wait till 2015 when I need to register?

[hquek]

Alumni is something one either has or not. I would think some of the other phases are more open to calls of unfairness. Like who gets to join the pv, who gets the work, who gets letter from grassroots, is there concentration of ‘power’ such that individuals can influence results?

[Dino mummy]

hquek:

Alumni is something one either has or not. I would think some of the other phases are more open to calls of unfairness. Like who gets to join the pv, who gets the work, who gets letter from grassroots, is there concentration of 'power' such that individuals can influence results?

I benefited from PV and the school my kid is in is juz a neighbourhood school. As this is the only school ard his grandparents cum day care guardian, I had to \"make sure\" he get into this neighbourhood school. We stayed 1 end of Spore while the sch is the other end, so if I dun PV, there is no way he can get in.
I think as it is not those branded school, it was a breeze to get accepted as PV. I din go thru' any interview, only need to pester the sch to give me assignments so that i can clocked enfg hours to qualify for 2B. A parent told me altho' she satsy within 1km, she also volunteer cos she doesnt want to go thru balloting in 2C. She said it doesnt make sense since she stays so near (5mins walk) and yet the kid need to go a far away school.

[janet88]

ngsc23:

There is no perfect solution to P1 registration. So long is beneficial to most pp we should accept it. To me, nothing is fair in the world.

There is no perfect solution...and it's not possible to please everyone.
As long as schools are popular, parents who can afford will buy a flat within 1km. However, Phase 2A1 for alumni should be deleted.
So Phase 2A2 is for:
*parent/sibling who has studied in that school
*parent who is staff of the school

[3Boys]

It’s easy to say 'there is nothing fair in the world ’ and leave things status quo. Ask yourself, what is more unfair?


The alumni priority is hereditary, like a royal entitlement. You had no influence in the first place when your parents placed you in a particular school, you may or may not have been an active contributor during your school days, you may or may not be an active alumni now. BUT, by dint of the fact that you now hold an old report card of the school, your child, regardless of whether you live half way across the island or give 2 hoots about your old school, has priority over perhaps a struggling mom who has no time to do PV or otherwise find her way up the priority ladder.

How on earth can this be right?

Sure, not everything is fair, but some things can be MORE fair.

[janet88]

3Boys:

It's easy to say 'there is nothing fair in the world ' and leave things status quo. Ask yourself, what is more unfair?

Nothing is fair in this world. Some kids are born in poverty-stricken countries. They didn't ask for it.

For our P1 registration, some have benefitted from PV (ie Phase 2B) to get themselves a higher chance of getting into the school within 1km.
It's sad when their kids can't get in and have to take a bus to travel further instead of 5-10 walk to school.