S'poreans to get priority for P1 places during balloting

[HC_Parent]

Why should the PRs stand a chance when even we poor Singaporeans have to fight so hard to get a place in our own local schools? Like a few mentioned here, locals have little choice we cannot afford International Schools, we cannot afford to suka suka buy a property just to get a shot at balloting. Surely we citizens deserve to have some priority and privilege by being Singaporeans?


Last year we had our very own balloting experience where 20% of the applicants were PRs. It didnt matter they hv 1 slip and we hv 2, all our names were put into the SAME box. Technically we hv no priority over them. Which was so sad because many of the rich PRs took up the v limited seats of our local school!

And one of our neighbours even commented, our area is VERY popular with the people back hm because they want to send their kids to this school! And they hv no qualms about paying 400k for a 3room flat here. What about the poor newly married couples who wish to set up a home here? They can never afford!

[icylemon]

mitspal:

Yes, this is good news for SC but very bad news for PR.


We are PR since 2008 and my wife was doing voluntary service for last 2 years to get admission (for our only daughter), in one of popular school.

Now, this new rule is so bad for us, that even we have no chance of getting admission in any phase. My wife is feeling that all of her efforts has gone in drain. :imconstipated:

What we have analyzed with this rule, there will be no PR student in all popular schools, except phase 1 and 2A, which would also see no PR student after 5-6 years as mostly siblings will get admission, what after that? when no more siblings left to get admission?

Please think these points
1. If all SC students are in one school and PR in other schools, do SC will send there kids in PR \"dubbed \" schools? :shock:
2. If PR students can not study with SC students how will they know Singapore culture better? :scared:

If we think of getting citizenship, it is very late now and also it is very hard to get citizenship. We can not pay $800+ every month to send our daughter to international school. :frustrated:

Hi I tot as PV you should be under 2B pharse?

[dorisp]

wayne lai:

Yes, but the rule against PRs mean they are disadvantaged when choosing popular schools.


We should try to maintain the principle on fairness and encouraging social mobility based on ability.

PRs should at least feel that they have a shot at getting to a popular school. As it is, they already have half the balloting chance of SG. Making it absolute is telling them they do not stand a chance, and telling them to go fly kite elsewhere.

With the current system where P2A is not capped, even SCs are disadvantaged when choosing schools near their home, not to mention PRs.

[CookiesMonster]

moe should consider closing doors to those using clans & grassroots route to gain entry.

[icylemon]

jedamum:

icylemon:

please advice.


i called up PEPS.

i am a SC staying within 1km of this school. belongs to the 2C pharse. the school told me tat based on their pass record 2C they have abt 50-60 vacancies & ard 120-130 registered for this pharse.

i fall under 2C. do you think is a risk to take and try out their 2C balloting?

Take a risk at peps only if u are willing to accept yourbackup sch in the event u failed balloting. Due to changes in registration ruling, past year data on p2c supp may not serve as a useful guide eg if PR knows their chances at peps or saps r low, they may not want to risk again in phase 2csupple n will go straight for bukit view - I think have balloting with 1km in p2cs - or lianhua - which in 1 yr had balloting with 1 km - or others in phase 2c hence these schs will have few vacancies left in phase2csupp.
Have backup sch preferably within 1 km. Then monitor this yr registration stats closely.
Good luck.

Hi jedamum,

i do not like the backup school which is opp my hse.

i m willingly to take the risk to try but once i think of the backup school i starts to half hearted.

[meekfreek]

mitspal:

Yes, this is good news for SC but very bad news for PR.


We are PR since 2008 and my wife was doing voluntary service for last 2 years to get admission (for our only daughter), in one of popular school.

Now, this new rule is so bad for us, that even we have no chance of getting admission in any phase. My wife is feeling that all of her efforts has gone in drain. :imconstipated:

What we have analyzed with this rule, there will be no PR student in all popular schools, except phase 1 and 2A, which would also see no PR student after 5-6 years as mostly siblings will get admission, what after that? when no more siblings left to get admission?

Please think these points
1. If all SC students are in one school and PR in other schools, do SC will send there kids in PR \"dubbed \" schools? :shock:
2. If PR students can not study with SC students how will they know Singapore culture better? :scared:

If we think of getting citizenship, it is very late now and also it is very hard to get citizenship. We can not pay $800+ every month to send our daughter to international school. :frustrated:

Mitspal, so sorry to hear this. Do not feel jaded. Not every local school is full so there is still plenty of opportunity for your daughter to study with SC students and know Singapore culture better. Furthermore, if your daughter is exceptional bright and/or gifted you may still apply to transfer her to your school of choice at a later date.

I totally understand that International School is expensive so you choose the cheaper local alternative. But you need to also think from SC point of view. SC don't have the choice to go to International School even if we can afford the fees. That is why, Singaporeans MUST come first.

[daddy2007]

janet_lee88:

This new move has nothing to do with punishing PRs. If PRs truly want to have a share of prosperity, it would be nice to consider sinking roots by converting to be a SC.

:goodpost:

If they find here is a good place to sink roots, just apply to be a SC and let's share the benefits and contribute to the country together.

I have a neighbour who is a PR. He is trying to apply PR for both his parents who are 60+. Reason? So that they can enjoy the subsidized medical fee here (e.g PR pay much lesser in polyclinic).

Nothing against PRs but I am hearing more and more of such things.

[wayne lai]

Exactly my point! And it is already happening. We should free up the 2A spaces first for both SCs and PRs.


IF despite doing this, the SCs are being edged out by PRs, then perhaps we should introduce this new SC rule. It's moot anyway, cos this has already been announced.

dorisp:

wayne lai:

Yes, but the rule against PRs mean they are disadvantaged when choosing popular schools.

We should try to maintain the principle on fairness and encouraging social mobility based on ability.

PRs should at least feel that they have a shot at getting to a popular school. As it is, they already have half the balloting chance of SG. Making it absolute is telling them they do not stand a chance, and telling them to go fly kite elsewhere.

With the current system where P2A is not capped, even SCs are disadvantaged when choosing schools near their home, not to mention PRs.

[janet88]

Actually this thing about SCs get priority wherever they live is not very true right ? The distance rule of 1km/1-2km/2km still applies. Supposing you are staying in East, would you really consider sending your child to a school in another part of Singapore ?

[ChiefKiasu]

Snow Crystal:

ChiefKiasu:

Actually, I think this change will actually intensify the balloting problem at top schools for this coming exercise, since it will drive more SCs to try for these schools thinking that they have a better chance of getting in now that PRs are \"out of the picture\".
At least there will be less finger pointing at PRs now when people lack the luck to get what they want. The debate will then shift to why alumni should be given priority in Phase 2A. :slapshead:

Wah ChiefKS, happy to see your posts.... Please post more.
The bigger issue was SC vs PR in balloting.
The papers and people speculated changes in alumni phase but the higher authority read the major problem correctly this round
Alumni phase not as easy to change - will step on many toes ...

Thank you, Snow Crystal. It is never easy to set policies, much less change them. A policy sets the norms and rules - some people will benefit from these rules at the expense of others. So you are right, it's a never ending process of trying to make the majority happy.

We have seen many such changes lately, with catch words such as \"pro-Singaporeans\" and pacifying words \"all-inclusive\". The gahmen is now obviously no longer just \"listening\" to the ground - it is also reacting. Some reactions, such as these, sweeten the electorate. Other reactions serve to remind people that there is no such thing as \"say say only\" on the Internet, and that we are all responsible for what we say.

If anything, I am more afraid that public administrators may start making populist policies rather than doing the right thing. If we are all afraid of making decisions that we know are right, but we also know are unpopular, we will be myopic and sensitive, which does not bode well for the country in the long term.

I would actually prefer to see more done to integrate the people who are already in Singapore, SC or PR, than to rely on new policies that accentuate the differences instead of smoothening out the relationships. Of course it is easier said then done. But we have done it before, in making Singapore the multi-racial metropolitan that it is today. How about a \"Friend a PR bonus\" for SCs?